Zelenskyy rejects Russian ultimatums amid Riyadh talks
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who travelled to Ankara on Tuesday to inaugurate the opening of the Ukrainian embassy, commented on the outcome of the talks in Riyadh. "I didn’t guarantee or confirm anything to anyone. And I never intended to," he emphasized.
"I never intended to, nor will I, give in to Russia's ultimatums," declared Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as quoted by Ukrainian media.
The President of Ukraine, who flew to Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday, highlighted in a conversation with journalists that, at the same time, negotiations between representatives of Russia and the USA concerning Ukraine are taking place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, but they are happening without Ukraine's participation.
He explained that when the full-scale invasion began, Ukraine started receiving assistance in various forms from different countries, and Russia issued an ultimatum. They demanded, among other things, a reduction in the size of Ukraine's Armed Forces, recognition of the occupied territories as part of Russia, and also wanted to impose a pro-Russian government on Ukraine, "which would be entirely within Putin's vertical structure."
"I get the impression that some negotiations are now underway, and they have exactly the same nature, but this time they are between representatives of Russia and the United States. About Ukraine, again about Ukraine, and without Ukraine. It's interesting, since in the most challenging moments, we didn't agree to these ultimatums. Where does the conviction come from that Ukraine will agree now?" Zelenskyy said during a meeting with the community in Ankara.
He added that "there were no agreements, either during the occupation of the Kyiv region by the Russians, during the meeting in Belarus, or during the talks in Turkey."
"As President of Ukraine, I didn’t guarantee or confirm anything to anyone. And I never intended to, nor will I, give in to Russia's ultimatums," he noted.
