President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan. 28 accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of intentionally prolonging the battle and avoiding peace negotiations.
"As we speak, Putin as soon as once more proved that he’s afraid of negotiations, afraid of sturdy leaders, and is doing the whole lot attainable to pull out the battle. Each step he takes, each cynical maneuver, is aimed toward making this battle countless," Zelensky mentioned, as Putin reiterated on state TV that he considers Zelensky "illegitimate" and incapable of signing any agreements in potential peace talks.
"Negotiations may be held with anybody," Putin mentioned on Jan. 28. "However resulting from (Zelensky's) illegitimacy he has no proper to signal something. If (Zelensky) needs to participate in talks, I’ll delegate individuals who will conduct such talks. However the (key) difficulty is the final word signing of the paperwork."
The declare, extensively utilized in Russian propaganda, has been dismissed by Ukrainian authorized consultants as baseless.
Zelensky emphasised in his submit on X that there’s a actual alternative to attain peace, however Putin is actively working towards it. "As an alternative of pursuing peace, Putin is both persevering with large-scale killings or looking for a pause to arrange for an additional full-scale invasion utilizing hybrid assaults," Zelensky added.
Zelensky additionally urged world leaders to be taught from previous errors. "Putin could have immense energy to destroy, however his coronary heart is just too small and cowardly to face up to actual stress from sturdy leaders," he mentioned.
The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk