Zelensky sees no Russian desire to negotiate an end to the war

ARK News… Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he saw no desire on Moscow's part to negotiate an end to the war against his country, according to the German news agency DPA.

In Kyiv's daily video message Friday, Zelensky said that Russia is sending tens or hundreds of thousands of people to fight, but that those who want to negotiate will not let people die in the meat grinder.

We are now ready for peace, a just and equitable peace, Zelensky said. We have announced his formula several times.” Above all, he added, Russia must recognize Ukraine's borders and territorial integrity under international law.

The Ukrainian president accused Russia of misleading everyone by putting forward negotiations recently to put an end to the conflict over foreign interlocutors. He said that Moscow had indeed announced an end to the partial mobilization of the army's reserve forces, but in fact, Russia continues to gather people in its territories and in our occupied territories in order to let them die.

Zelensky has repeatedly demanded the complete withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory as a condition for peace talks. In addition, he demanded that Russia acknowledge responsibility for what it called the campaign of terrorism against Ukraine. He stressed the need for Moscow to punish war criminals and compensate Ukraine for the damages it has caused.

Zelensky also said on Friday evening that the fierce fighting in his country has recently focused on the Donbas region around the towns of Bakhmut and Soledar in the Donetsk region.

We are holding the positions, he said, in light of Russia's mobilization of more than 300,000 reservists for the invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president noted that Russia has already lost thousands of soldiers in the region. He reiterated that Ukraine will fight to restore its original borders, stressing that Ukraine will be free.

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