Zelensky to Speak with Putin?

Three years into the war and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has finally stated he is willing to TALK to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both Putin and Zelensky would like Trump to assist in negotiating a peace deal. Zelensky firmly said “at the negotiation table there must be the United States, Europe, Ukraine and Russia.” But that did not go well for Russia last time.

The last time European leaders sat down to mitigate Russia-Ukraine relations, they presented Moscow with the false Minsk Agreement. As German Chancellor Angela Merkel later revealed, the agreement was a complete hoax intended to buy time for Ukraine to build up its military. Putin may distrust Europe but has held out hope that Donald Trump could present a solution.

“Putin is ready. We are waiting for signals (from Washington). Everyone is ready. It is difficult to read the coffee grounds here. As soon as there is something, if there is something, we will inform you,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said weeks after Trump was elected. Putin has been asking to speak with Zelensky for many years, long before the war began. He may have held out some hope for discussions with Trump, but the Russian leader believes Zelensky’s recent statements are “empty words.” In fact, Putin no longer wants to speak with Zelensky as he does not consider him the official ruler of Ukraine. Zelensky declared himself the ruler of Ukraine without hosting a proper election, citing the war as the reason he must retain power.

Zelensky also signed a decree in 2022 that said he would not speak with Putin directly. It does not give much confidence when a leader refuses to sit down and speak with a foe. Zelensky is afraid to speak with Putin directly. Putin has been deeply engaged in politics for a lifetime while Zelensky is trained comedian and actor. He is not qualified to hold a discussion on his own.

“We will be speaking with Putin. Don’t we make too many compromises? Even the conversation with Putin is already a compromise,” Zelensky said. “Nobody knows how this conversation will start and how it will end. Nobody knows, but we believe that President Trump wants to succeed in this situation.”

Neither party has said that they would end the war without massive compromises. Ukraine is now seeking nuclear arms from the West as an alternative to NATO membership. Putin has been quite clear about what he wants. It is more likely than not that Zelensky became wrapped up in the moment of a live interview but likely does not have true intentions to negotiate peace.