Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with Corriere della Sera that negotiations with Russia are only possible if its troops withdraw and that Putin and Zelenskyy are "never to be seen" at the same negotiating table, Ukrinform reports.
If Russian troops withdraw, Ukraine will be able to negotiate, but it will not be with Putin.
"Putin is not a partner (in negotiations - Ed.). He has committed too many very serious crimes. There are other diplomatic means of indirect struggle. But it is clear to us that we will never be able to see Putin and Zelenskyy at the same table," the foreign minister said.
Kuleba added that the Russian president "has been counting on someone's election since 2014, but the results have never helped him", commenting on Putin's calculations regarding Donald Trump's victory in the US election. "I still believe that time is our ally because of the simple fact that our military capabilities are growing and Russia's are shrinking. But we hope that one day the war will end in our favour," the minister added.
Kuleba stressed that victory can be achieved through war and diplomacy. "Our generals are doing the former, their task is to push the Russians to retreat and make them understand that talking is better than fighting. I care about diplomacy and dialogue whenever possible," he said.
Kuleba also believes that the start of negotiations before the complete withdrawal of the Russian forces from Ukraine depends on the circumstances.
"We do not take the Russians at their word, no-one in their right mind would. Before we go (to a compromise on negotiations - Ed.), we would like to make sure that it is serious and not another deception. That the Russians will not come back to attack us again. I understand these questions and their logic, but I cannot give unequivocal answers because there are none, and the lives of millions of people are at stake," he said.
According to Kuleba, Moscow, for example, did not comply with the terms of the "grain deal", which was concluded under the mediation of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"There were two separate agreements with us and with Moscow, there was never a direct understanding. We need some creativity to find solutions. We will look for them by any means, but there are no conditions at the moment: Russia continues to attack us, it prefers war to peace," he said.