Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has said he is still ready for direct talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Financial Times reports.
"I am still resolute and determined whether I want it or not," he said in an interview with the Financial Times that the newspaper released on its website on Tuesday. "I’m ready for direct negotiations with President Putin if we are ready to discuss putting an end to this war seriously."
He said "there’s no time" for talking with Moscow about issues not relating to ending the conflict, including Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO.
"If we are not in NATO there are no bases of foreign countries on our territory," the Ukrainian president said. "If you want to accept us into NATO then please invite us, but we are not discussing it at the moment."
The leader of Ukraine once reaffirmed his position that "victory must be achieved on the battlefield", but he is open to negotiations with Russia.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, commenting on the Ukrainian president's remarks on talks with Vladimir Putin and Zelensky's statements in general, said that "these are clearly texts written by someone, a program written by someone." He added that what is heard from Kyiv needs to be checked.
