World should put pressure on Russia to bring it to negotiating table – Zelenskyy

The whole world must put pressure on Russia to persuade it to come to the negotiating table and consider ending the war, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with the BBC.

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According to the head of state, this does not mean that all occupied territories will be returned by force.

"I think the power of diplomacy can help," the Ukrainian leader said. He noted that a weaker Russia on the battlefield will put Ukraine in a stronger position at the negotiating table.

"By putting pressure on Russia, I think it is possible to agree to a diplomatic settlement," Zelenskyy stated.

On June 14, Vladimir Putin said that the aggressor would "immediately cease fire" and the Kremlin would be ready for negotiations if the Defense Forces withdrew from the territory of four Ukrainian regions.

Zelenskyy called Putin's statements on ending the war an ultimatum and compared him to Adolf Hitler.

On June 30, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine can negotiate with Russia through intermediaries, and cited the format of the Black Sea Grain Initiative as an example.