At a press conference concluding his visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a new challenge to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to him, if Zelenskyy is ready, he can come to Moscow for a meeting. However, Putin emphasized that he still doesn't know for sure whether such a meeting makes sense and again questioned the legitimacy of Zelenskyy's presidency.
As a reminder, this idea was previously mentioned in a conversation with Donald Trump. However, Zelenskyy replied, "Not only in Moscow," and rejected Putin's proposal.
The Russian leader has repeatedly refused to meet with Zelenskyy, considering him an "illegal president." Putin believes that Zelenskyy's legitimacy remains questionable due to the absence of new elections in Ukraine. However, according to Ukrainian law, presidential elections can only be held 90 days after the end of martial law.
Important quotes from Putin's speech
"Russia has never discussed Ukraine's security guarantees at the expense of territories. Kyiv has the right to choose its own security system, but this must not happen at Russia's expense."
"We are never fighting for land, but for the right of people to speak their own language and live freely in their own culture. The will of the people who chose to remain part of Russia must be taken into account, this is the foundation of democracy."
"If the Ukrainian government wants to resolve territorial issues, it must first abolish martial law and hold a referendum."
"If common sense prevails, an agreement can be reached to resolve the conflict peacefully. Now we see that the mood of the US administration is also directed towards this. There is hope, there is light at the end of the tunnel. But if this path is not chosen, everything will have to be resolved armedly."
Conclusion
Putin's words once again showed what vivid contradictions the complex political situation between Russia and Ukraine consists of. On the one hand, he says he is open to negotiations, and on the other hand, he doubts Zelenskyy's legitimacy.
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