However, Zelenskyy again postulated that ultimately only Ukrainian citizens could decide on possible neutral status in a referendum. Ukraine’s neutrality is one of Russia’s main demands in the ceasefire negotiations. The Kremlin recently cited the Austrian and Swedish models as possible models.
In an interview with Russian journalists, Zelenskyi accused Vladimir Putin of delaying peace talks. In the approximately one-and-a-half-hour video chat that the critical portal Meduza published on Sunday night, he once again called for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Only in this way can there be security guarantees for Ukraine, which in turn are the basis for Ukraine’s resignation from NATO, which Moscow demands, underlined the Ukrainian head of state.
Among the Russian journalists who conducted the interview was a reporter from the well-known Moscow newspaper Kommersant. In addition, a question was asked on behalf of the editor-in-chief of the opposition “Novaya Gazeta”, Dmitry Muratov. Both newspapers initially did not publish Zelenskyj’s statements following threats from the Russian media regulator.
Roskomnadzor’s authority warned Russian media against publishing without giving reasons. In Russia, for example, the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops can only be officially described as a “special military operation”. In addition, a new media law provides for up to 15 years in prison for alleged false news about Russia’s armed forces.
The Meduza portal, which is blocked in Russia anyway, published the interview anyway. Zelenskyi also said, “Today, this month, there was a global, historical and cultural divide. It’s not just a war. I think it’s much worse.”