30 June 2021, Wednesday, 14:07 142

Putin Not Against Meeting With Zelenskyy, But Does Not Understand What They Can Discuss

Редактор: Daria Zubkova

Russian President Vladimir Putin assures that he is not against a meeting with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but does not understand what exactly they can discuss with him.

He said this during the Direct Line with the People, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"Well, for what to meet with Zelenskyy if he gave his country under full external control? The key issues of Ukraine's life are decided not in Kyiv, but in Washington, partly in Berlin and Paris. Well, what to talk about? Nevertheless, I do not refuse meetings of this kind. You just need to understand what to talk about," he said.

Putin also noted that the current Ukrainian authorities are unfriendly to Russia.

"I do not think that the Ukrainian people are unfriendly. Nothing of the kind. We are one whole. The current leadership of Ukraine is clearly unfriendly to us. This is an absolutely obvious thing," he said.

He explained that he could not explain otherwise the submission by Zelenskyy to the Verkhovna Rada of the bill on the indigenous peoples of Ukraine, where the Russian people are not listed as such.

Putin is convinced that the adoption of this law will lead to a reduction in the total number of Russians in Ukraine.

"They are squeezing the Russian language out of practical life," he added.

In the context of the unfriendly attitude, Putin also recalled the "suppression of the opposition in Ukraine."

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Zelenskyy hopes that his planned meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and with Putin will provide an alternative to the Normandy Format (Ukraine, Russia, Germany, France) or the Minsk Agreements to resolve the situation in Donbas.