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By Jon Jackson
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday said he is ready to sit at the negotiating table with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Zelensky said he is willing to engage in direct talks with Putin "if that is the only setup in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine..."
"I will not be kind to him. I consider him an enemy," the Ukrainian leader added. "And to be honest, I believe he considers me an enemy as well."
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Why It Matters
U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House has amplified speculation about negotiations to end the war started by Putin in February 2022.
On January 24, Putin told reporters that Moscow is ready for talks with Trump on ending the war. However, he added that any peace deal with Kyiv would be invalid because of a decree by Zelensky.
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Moscow has repeatedly said Zelensky is an illegitimate leader stemming from the martial law he declared due to the war, which banned presidential, parliamentary and local elections. Before the decree, his five-year term was set to expire in May 2024.
What To Know
During Zelensky's interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, the Ukrainian leader said his country is ready for "the end of the hot stage of the war" and to move to the "diplomatic track."
He added that "at the negotiation table there must be the United States, Europe, Ukraine and Russia."
Newsweek reached out to the Kremlin via email on Tuesday for comment.
"We will be speaking with Putin. Don't we make too many compromises? Even the conversation with Putin is already a compromise," Zelensky said. "Nobody knows how this conversation will start and how it will end. Nobody knows, but we believe that President Trump wants to succeed in this situation."
Morgan then asked Zelensky how he would personally feel sitting opposite Putin at a negotiating table.
"If that is the only setup in which we can bring peace to the citizens of Ukraine and not lose people, definitely we will go for this setup for the meeting with these four participants," Zelensky answered.
What People Are Saying
Ukraine's first vice prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, told RMF FM last month: "We hope that the war will end this year. Our priority is not only to achieve peace. It is also to negotiate strong security guarantees that will help Ukraine return to normal life."
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said last month about talks between Putin and Trump: "Putin is ready. We are waiting for signals (from Washington). Everyone is ready. It is difficult to read the coffee grounds here. As soon as there is something, if there is something, we will inform you."
What Happens Next
Trump has said he will soon be speaking with his Putin.
Update 02/04/25 06:02 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include more information.
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