Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he will continue negotiating with Russia and is waiting for a meeting with its leader, Vladimir Putin despite the escalated attacks by Russia in Ukraine.
So far, Zelensky’s requests have gone unanswered by the Kremlin. During his nightly address to his nation, Zelensky said Sunday that his delegation has a “clear task” to do everything to ensure a meeting between the two presidents, the Associated Press reports.
Zelensky said there are daily discussions between the two countries via video conference. He said the talks are necessary to establish a cease-fire and more humanitarian corridors. He said those corridors have saved more than 130,000 people in six days.
The humanitarian convoy to the besieged city of Mariupol was blocked Sunday by Russian forces. Zelensky said they would try again Monday.
Dmitry Peskov, Russia’s negotiator and President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, confirmed the daily talks, the BBC reports.
In a video posted on social media and in a subsequent tweet, Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukraine’s negotiator and a Zelensky adviser, said Russia was beginning to engage constructively.
“Russia now much more adequately perceives the world around it,” Podolyak said. “It is much more sensitive to the position of Ukraine, which has been proven in battlefields, and in Ukraine’s actions in terms of protecting its interests.”
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