Ukraine did not agree to the Russian ultimatum at the start of a full-scale invasion in 2022. And the "Istanbul agreements" never existed, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference in Brussels.
Points of attention
- President Zelenskyy exposes Putin's falsehood of the 'Istanbul agreements' and Ukraine's refusal to adhere to the Russian ultimatum.
- The conflict between Ukraine and Russia persists, with Putin pressuring Ukraine to surrender and compromise its independence, a proposition deemed unacceptable by Ukraine.
- Despite talks of negotiations, Ukraine is adamant about establishing peace on its own terms, emphasizing the need to strengthen its position to resolve the conflict.
- The diplomatic path to ending the war remains uncertain as Ukraine and Russia have not engaged in peace talks recently, with Zelenskyy highlighting the importance of maintaining Ukrainian sovereignty.
- Western partners have called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, but President Zelenskyy asserts that any return to negotiations must be based on strengthening Ukraine's position and establishing peace on Ukrainian terms.
Old dreamer — Zelensky on Putin's invented "Istanbul agreements"
According to the president, he is surprised by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's statement regarding a possible ceasefire.
Zelensky recalled that Putin always calls him "illegitimate."
As for the "Istanbul agreements", which never existed. There was an ultimatum from Russia on the very first day of the occupation of our state, in 2022. Their messengers in various directions showed us the details of this ultimatum. These messengers are no longer in Ukraine. Ukraine did not agree to the Russian Federation's ultimatum.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
He said that after that, Russia tried to take further steps and soften its position on this ultimatum. In particular, this happened at meetings in Belarus and Turkey.
They called all the meetings the Istanbul agreements. Ukraine did not sign anything, no agreements existed. The ultimatum included demilitarization, denazification. The main Nazi on the planet today, Putin, is talking about denazification of Ukrainians. Further, so that the Ukrainian army does not exist.
According to him, Putin simply suggested that Ukraine surrender and freeze the conflict. In addition, Ukraine should change direction towards Russia and lose its independence.
And this man says that these are some kind of deals. Just an old dreamer. He lives in some kind of his own world. In his own aquarium.
Recall that in the spring of 2023, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul, Turkey. Today, Putin stated that Russia was allegedly ready for "negotiations and compromises" with Ukraine. At the same time, he complained that "that side" was refusing to make agreements, meaning Ukraine.
Talks about negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
Recently, Ukraine's Western partners have increasingly raised the issue of possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. This topic has become particularly relevant after Donald Trump's victory in the United States presidential election.
At the same time, Ukraine and Russia are not currently holding peace talks.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously noted that a return to negotiations is possible only if Ukraine's positions are strengthened. He stressed that a diplomatic path to ending the war is not ruled out, but peace must be established on Ukrainian terms.
