Zelensky reveals details of talks with Putin
6 January 10:13
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that after the ceasefire agreement at the Normandy format talks, the Russians did not keep their promise, and the Kremlin began to “talk some shit.” He said this in an interview with American podcaster Lex Friedman, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Zelenskyy noted that during talks with Putin in December 2019 in Normandy, mediated by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, he said that Putin was primarily interested in extending the gas transit contract, and that the withdrawal of troops, the exchange of prisoners and a ceasefire were secondary issues for him.
“The gas contract was signed because he [Putin] needed it. And he knew all the details. As for the exchange, we took the first steps and exchanged people. As for the ceasefire, no. They started killing us about a month later. I called him and told him that we had an agreement. We have [agreements], it’s not a piece of paper in the toilet, it’s a serious story,” Zelensky said.
According to him, he called Putin several times and demanded explanations, but he was surprised and promised to look into it. Meanwhile, Russians and separatists in the occupied territories of Donbas “continued to shoot and kill our people.”
“Yes, the frontline was standing still, but they were killing our people. I kept calling him until a few months later, when the Russians stopped picking up the phone from us. We had no more connection. I wanted another meeting, as we had, in the Normandy format, but the Russians refused. We tried to do it through different countries in Europe and not only in Europe – the Russians refused, passed it on, said some bullshit. They didn’t want to,” Zelensky explained.
Zelensky recorded a more than three-hour interview with American podcaster Lex Friedman.
“A conversation with Lex Friedman. For the first time, an almost three-hour interview for a well-known American podcast. Meaningful answers to difficult questions. The Ukrainian vision of a just peace, which is important for everyone in the partner countries to know,” the president said in a statement on his Telegram channel.
According to Zelenskyy, he spoke “about the strength of our people, the origins of Russia’s criminal aggression, and our willingness to work together with President Trump and all partners to establish a lasting and reliable peace.”
It should be noted that American interviewer Lex Friedman, known for his podcast with global businessmen and politicians, intends to interview President Zelenskyy in January 2025
