Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his willingness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss political and diplomatic solutions to end the ongoing conflict in his country.
He made this statement during a press conference in Kyiv after a meeting with Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Zelensky also claimed that Putin is “afraid to talk” about ending the war. This information was reported by the news agency Anadolu on Friday (February 7).
During the press conference in Kyiv on Thursday, following his meeting with Odile Renaud-Basso, Zelensky stated, “The U.S. President (Donald) Trump and European Union countries believe that diplomacy is impossible without Russia and without Putin. That’s why I said that if we can agree on how this war will end for us, I am ready (to meet him). We are ready for diplomacy—I have no problem with that. The problem is that I feel Putin is actually afraid to talk about ending the war.”
In 2022, while Vladimir Putin was the President of Russia, Ukraine issued a decree banning peace negotiations with Russia, and Zelensky himself signed that decree the same year. When asked about this, the Ukrainian President claimed that the ban does not apply to him.
Regarding media reports on a U.S. plan to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, Zelensky said, “I am sure that our team (U.S.-Ukraine) will work together. There can be no other plan.”
He also emphasized that Kyiv is closely monitoring formal communications with Washington regarding peace plans. Additionally, regarding his meeting with Renaud-Basso, Zelensky mentioned that they discussed the European Union’s financial assistance to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the EBRD President stated that since 2022, the bank has provided Ukraine with $6.5 billion in financial aid and plans to continue investing in the energy and private sectors.