Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the Ukrainian president and head of the peace talks group with Russia, explained on Sunday that Zelensky and Putin would see each other only when the “great battle” for Donbas was over.
Late last month, Russia announced the withdrawal of troops from Kyiv Oblast and other parts of the country to focus its efforts on capturing Donetsk and Luhansk.
Ukraine is always ready for a tough fight. We have something to win, especially in Donetsk region. Then we will have a stronger negotiating position, which will allow us to dictate certain conditions, – Podoliak explained in an interview with Sky News.
“After that, the presidents of the two countries will meet, but this meeting may be postponed for two or three weeks,” he added.
So far, negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have not yielded significant results, as Kyiv considers most of Moscow’s demands “absolutely unacceptable.”