Ukrainian president admits he does not usually call Russian leader as “there is no subject to talk about”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promised to contact Russian leader Vladimir Putin by phone in case the Normandy format meeting at the level of advisers is further delayed.
“If the delay in the meeting of the advisers continues, I will definitely communicate with him. As the president of Ukraine, I have to resolve all difficult issues with him. And if it will help to stop the war faster, I must communicate with him”, – he said in an interview with the Ukrainian magazine Focus published on Friday.
He admitted, however, that he does not call the Russian leader because “there is no subject to talk about.”
Zelensky added that he would like to discuss with his Russian counterpart not only the settlement in Donbass. “There should be both dialogue in the Normandy format and direct dialogue. Because there are issues that we do not raise in the Normandy format, neither the issue of hostages in Russia or in Crimea. This format is strictly about Donbass. Therefore we must talk to him globally one-on-one,” he said.
The Ukrainian president recalled that a meeting of the advisers had been expected in December, but it has not happened yet due to the inconsistency in the negotiating positions and the coronavirus pandemic.