““No one will remove our troops from our territories. This is my constitutional duty, our military to protect sovereignty ””, – WRITE: www.radiosvoboda.org
“No one will remove our troops from our territories. This is my constitutional duty, our military to protect sovereignty … No ultimatums, no one to take their lands, their people, their homes. I do not know what the principles in the memorandum there … If Russia sets the conditions to remove our troops from our earth – then they do not want the war to end. Because they clearly understand that Ukraine will not do it, ”he told reporters.
At the same time, he said, Trump believes that Russia is ready for negotiations and compromises.
Zelensky noted that the Russian side wants to send a Memorandum to Kiev, which will set up principles, including not only ceasefire, but also additional.
“For us, the principles I have informed Trump’s President … We all talk about the ceasefire … We do not trust Russia, so we would like to see as the first step of the ceasefire …”, he added.
On May 19, two -hour talks of US President Donald Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin took place. According to the results of this conversation, Trump said that Russia and Ukraine should “immediately” start ceasefire negotiations and end the war.
After a telephone conversation with Trump, Putin told reporters on May 19 that Russia and Ukraine “should find compromises that arrange both sides.” According to him, “the Russian Federation is ready to work with Kiev on a memorandum about a future peace treaty.”
Zelensky and Trump had two conversations today – before and after negotiations with Putin. During the second conversation, some European leaders joined Zelensky and Trump.
These telephone conversations took place after Russian and Ukrainian representatives met in Istanbul for personal negotiations. It was the first meeting of two sides from the first weeks after Russia began its full -scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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Istanbul meetings, which included separate conversations with US officials, did not bring significant progress, but led to an agreement to exchange 1000 prisoners of war. There was no obligation to terminate the fighting, and during the weekend, Russia caused one of the largest shelling of drones, according to the Ukrainian side.
Russian representatives in Istanbul, according to reports, have made maximum requirements to Ukraine – urging their troops to be removed from the regions partially occupied by Russia – other conditions presented in the spring of 2022. These conditions are rejected by Ukraine and many of its Western allies.