President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced doubts about peace talks in an April 20 interview, as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet with Ukrainian officials amid stalled negotiations with Russia, KYIV INDEPENDENT reports.
"I consider their arrival is needed by them, not us... It's disrespectful to come to Moscow and not Kyiv, it's just disrespectful. I understand we have complex logistics... If they don't want to, we can meet in other countries," Zelenskyy said in a wide-ranging interview with Ukrainian outlet ICTV.
Kushner and Witkoff have flown to Moscow several times and met Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Jan. 22 visit. The envoys previously met Ukrainian officials but have not yet travelled to Kyiv.
The two envoys were expected to visit Kyiv in April, but Zelenskyy cast doubt on the format of talks, telling journalists on April 8 that it was "difficult to say" whether there would soon be a meeting in Ukraine's capital or whether it would take place in another location involving all three negotiating teams.
"We should not make the arrival of Jared and Wikoff some sort of special sensation because, first of all, we are in contact with them," Zelenskyy said in his interview.
"They are in contact (with us) over the phone, and it is over the phone that they express their desire to continue communication and negotiations."
A U.S. delegation led by Witkoff and Kushner met with Ukrainian officials in Miami on March 22 in an effort to broker a peace deal.
The quickest way to end Russia's war would be to cease hostilities along the current line of contact, but Moscow is currently unwilling to do so, Zelenskyy said.
"There was a mutual understanding that we want a simple format because all that is complicated is difficult to implement."
"Let's first cease fire long term, and this could be the end of the war in the form of combat," Zelenskyy said.
If a long-term ceasefire is established, Russia's war could be resolved with diplomacy, but the Kremlin continues to issue the ultimatum that Ukraine withdraw from its eastern Donbas region, Zelenskyy noted.
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