“If it were not for this not entirely reasonable idea of a meeting with Putin, which was voiced from Zelensky’s lips, then, I think, […] Secretary of State Blinken’s visit would never have happened. From my point of view, this is one of the questions that the United States Secretary of State explained that this meeting is meaningless, unnecessary and will not lead to minimization of tension, but, on the contrary, will exacerbate the situation, “he said.
The politician noted that he knows the “internal kitchen” in the Kremlin, and predicted further actions of the Russian side.
“Visit [Блинкена] in fact, he will stop such preparations and even talk about a possible meeting, although these confused answers of the Ukrainian president, reluctance to call Russia an occupier, an aggressor, an enemy, in fact, indicate that he has a colossal desire to “look Putin in the eye”, – explained Bezsmertny.
Blinken has arrived to Kiev on May 5. This was his first visit to Ukraine as Secretary of State. On May 6, the US Secretary of State held meetings with Zelensky, prime minister Denis Shmygal, representatives of parliamentary factions and the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Dmitry Razumkov, Kuleboy, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epiphany, as well as civil society representatives, business and anti-corruption authorities.
On April 20, Zelensky invited Putin to meet “anywhere in Donbass where there is a war”to discuss the conflict. Putin Two days later offered to meet in Moscow. The head of the Kremlin said that he was ready to negotiate bilateral relations. To “discuss the problems of Donbass,” the Ukrainian leadership should meet with the leaders of the “LPR” and “DPR”, and “only then discuss them with representatives of third countries,” he said.
Representatives of the Ukrainian delegation to the TCG believe that the president of Ukraine should not go to Moscow for negotiations… To Kiev inviting Putin is incorrect, said the head of the President’s Office Andriy Yermak.
In an April 26 interview with the Financial Times Zelensky said he was ready to meet with Putin, stressing that he was “concerned not with the venue, but with the content of the meeting.” He instructed Ermak start preparing for the meeting.
The only summit meeting between Putin and Zelensky took place in December 2019 in Paris at the Normandy format leaders’ summit.
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