Zelensky on the ceasefire and Normandy format talks: "The Russians have simply stopped answering the phone."

The Kremlin's dictator, Putin, shows no interest in negotiating peace; he does not delve into this matter as he has no intention of ending the war.

This opinion was expressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an interview with Lex Friedman, an American podcaster.

In particular, he cited an example of how the negotiations in the Normandy format took place in 2019 with Putin's participation, noting that these talks were weak due to the absence of the United States.

“I will describe the situation to you. In December 2019, in Paris, at the Élysée Palace, I, Macron, Merkel, and Putin agreed on a ceasefire. We agreed on an exchange of people, all for all. There was also a new, lengthy meeting where we (with Putin) reached an agreement. Everyone was tired, and we were left alone, after all. I told him: let’s have a ceasefire. By the way, no one in Ukraine believed in the ceasefire; very few believed,” Zelensky shared.

According to him, he had deeply researched this issue at that time, while Putin had not.

“He wanted the withdrawal of (Ukrainian troops. – Mind). I calculated for him that if there were a withdrawal of troops from the contact line in the format proposed by the Russians, it would take us 20 years. I proved this to him. Specifically by time. Square kilometers, the length of the demarcation line. I told him: it won’t work like that. I had many arguments. Because I was deeply involved in the matter, very deeply. This is my trait. If I start doing something, I cannot stand there like a comrade (Putin. – Mind) with a bare bottom; I must be dressed and ready better than the one opposite me,” the president said, adding that this trait developed in him over years of sports, particularly boxing and Muay Thai.

“So I was very prepared for this. But he was not. He was not deeply involved in the process. What about the borders, where he is located, how long to withdraw troops? And why was he not deeply involved? Because he had no intention of doing any of this. That’s what troubled me. If you are not deeply involved in the issue, then the result is not very important to you,” Zelensky explained.

“We agreed on the continuation of gas transit in 2019. It was security for Europe; Merkel asked me a lot about this, it was important for Germany. We agreed on transit, and by the way, he knew all the details.”

“As for the exchange, we took the first steps and exchanged people,” the president added.

“As for the ceasefire, they started killing us a month later. I called him (Putin. – Mind), and said: well, we agreed. We have (a document), it’s not just a piece of paper for the toilet; it’s a serious matter, Merkel, Macron, you, me – we agreed,” Zelensky stated.

He noted that after this, he called him several more times; in total, there were two or three calls.

“I asked him for a ceasefire; he said: ‘It can’t be, we’ll sort it out now,’ while the Russians and separatists in the occupied territories continued to shoot and kill our people. Yes, the front was static, but they were killing people. I kept calling him for several months until the Russians stopped answering our calls. We had no further connections. I wanted the next meeting, like we had in the Normandy format, but the Russians refused,” Zelensky recounted.

Background. Recall that Zelensky called Vladimir Putin a “mammoth,” alien to any innovations, while missiles – unlike those of Elon Musk – the Russian dictator produces solely for the purpose of killing.