Volodymyr Zelensky has brutally trolled Vladimir Putin over his claim that the only way to secure peace is for the Ukrainian leader to visit Moscow. The Russian invitation to Zelensky to the Kremlin is seen in Kyiv as a sign that Putin is less than serious about an end to the war.
The Russian dictator knows Zelensky could not travel to Moscow, just as Putin would not want to go to Kyiv – fearing for his life. Today Zelensky hit back, saying: « Of course, it is impossible for me to meet with Putin in Moscow. It is the same as meeting with Putin in Kyiv. I can invite him to Kyiv, let him come. « I will publicly invite him, if he dares, of course. »
Zelensky said the important matter was to end the war, not the venue for talks. « We want to constructively agree on a real end to the war. We want to agree on a meeting that can be productive, » he said.
Taunting Putin, he went on: « But if someone does not want to meet, but cannot afford to say so directly for some reason, then they are voicing the invitations to Moscow. »
Earlier, Putin’s mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov had said: « We’re now talking about Moscow.
« As the diplomats say, any speculative discussions on this are inappropriate. »
And Putin’s hardline foreign affairs aide Yuri Ushakov said: « If Zelensky is really ready for such a meeting, then we invite him to Moscow and will ensure his safety and necessary conditions for work. »
Yet during the war, Russia has repeatedly sought to assassinate Zelensky, according to reports.
Zelensky said today: « I have always said I am ready for any format for ending the war that will work.
« But in Moscow and in Belarus, this is simply impossible and it is absolutely clear why – because these are states, one of which is the aggressor, which started and is waging a war against us, killing us, and the other country is its partner in these actions. »
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