President Zelensky declares Ukraine will not negotiate with Russia

According to RT news agency, at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on November 4, President Vladimir Zelensky affirmed that Ukraine is currently not willing to hold any exchanges with Russia. He also denied recent media reports that Western countries supporting Kiev are urging the country to join the negotiations.

“At the moment, none of the EU leaders, the US, our partners are pressuring us to sit down at the negotiating table with Russia, to talk to them or make any concessions to them. This will not happen,” he told reporters.

Mr Zelensky later said he “did not know” who had published such information. However, he admitted that he had “the impression” that the Ukrainian media and Ukrainians themselves were speculating about the idea of ​​possible talks with Russia and that Western countries were allegedly pushing Kiev to such a decision. The Ukrainian president went on to say that he was “surprised” by such views.

Earlier on November 4, NBC reported that Western officials were holding behind-the-scenes talks with Kiev about the possibility of negotiations with Russia and were even exploring potential concessions that Ukraine could agree to to end the conflict.

The source also said that Western countries are concerned about the possibility of a "stalemate" in the conflict and Ukraine "exhausting its forces" in the future.

Russia has repeatedly signaled its readiness to engage in talks with Kiev, but has stressed that such talks must take into account Moscow’s security interests and “realities on the ground.” In the fall of 2022, four former Ukrainian regions, including the two Donbass republics, formally joined Russia after a series of referendums. Kiev has never accepted the results, calling the vote “sham” and seeking to restore control over the four regions, as well as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014 after another referendum.

In October 2022, Mr. Zelensky also signed a decree banning Ukraine from holding any negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Last September, Mr Putin said that if Kiev was ready to end the conflict it should express its intentions publicly, including revoking the 2022 decree.

“If their desire to achieve something through negotiations is genuine, let them do it… Let the Ukrainians themselves say it… say it openly,” the Russian president said at the time.