Zelenskyy on talks with Russia: «It's like talking to ballistic missiles»

Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Photo: Presidential Office

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stressed that he is ready for any format of negotiations with Russia, but so far it is like «talking to missiles».

He said this on Friday, 4 April, during a press conference broadcast by Suspilne.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that «is not afraid of any format of negotiations with the Russians» — with or without intermediaries. He also noted that the negotiations should be substantive.

«How do you talk directly to ballistic missiles and terrorists? What is the point of talking? First and foremost, an unconditional ceasefire... After that, we can talk in any format, but for this, we need the Russians to be ready for diplomacy instead of murderers. So far, they are just devils», the President said and reminded that on Friday evening, the occupiers fired a ballistic missile at a residential area in Kryvyi Rih.

On the evening of 4 April, Russian troops attacked the centre of a residential neighbourhood with ballistic missiles in Kryvyi Rih. The shelling left 16 dead, including six children.

Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Vladimir Putin «is afraid to tell» US President Donald Trump directly that Russia wants to continue the war. According to him, this is why Moscow is framing the idea of silence with such preconditions that «nothing happens at all or that it doesn't happen for as long as possible».