Zelenskyy Sets Terms to Open Negotiations With Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly stated that he is ready to open peace talks with Russia—but only under certain conditions.  During a speech this week, he listed the conditions that must exist before negotiations could begin: “restoration of (Ukraine’s) territorial integrity … compensation for all war damage, punishment for every war criminal and guarantees that it will not happen again.”  Andrei Rudenko, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, responded that Russia did not have any preconditions to resume peace talks with Ukraine. He said, “This is their choice, we have always declared our readiness for such negotiations.”