Zelensky: "Putin is not a man of dialogue, he is a man of ultimatums"
Photo: Office of the President
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin does not know how to speak the language of diplomacy: the Russian dictator uses it only as a manipulation tool, but in reality, he acts on the principle of ultimatums.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes this, speaking about it in an interview with Time magazine.
As Zelensky noted, any attempts to negotiate with the Kremlin face the same barrier: Putin's unwillingness to make real compromises.
"We are talking about a ceasefire, and we understand who we're dealing with. It's like the story when a terrorist takes over a bank, and people understand that they can't tell him straight away: 'Come out of there! Release all the people, leave the money behind.' Professionals understand how you have to start a conversation like that. It's about compromising for the sake of people. And here it's the same. It's for the sake of people, the people who are at the front. And for the sake of all people, when all is said and done," the head of state said.
The president emphasized that the world had already made a major historic compromise by allowing Putin to return to the international arena. In fact, the Russian dictator's political isolation was lifted, and he was once again considered a participant in the negotiations.
"Lifting Putin's political isolation—that's a big compromise. Imagine releasing Hitler from his political isolation. It would probably be impossible," Zelensky emphasized.
However, as the head of state stressed, even this vast compromise could not force Putin to sit at the negotiating table without ultimatums.
"We want to use the language of diplomacy with him, but he never learned this language. He speaks a different language. Not because he is unfamiliar with diplomacy. He understands it as an instrument. But he is against dialogue. He is not a man of dialogue. He is a man of ultimatums," Zelensky explained.
The president also believes that more decisive actions by the American administration could change the situation and force Russia to react faster.
"I think that if the American administration would take stronger steps, then Putin would have a better reaction. The Russians would respond more quickly. I think that, as soon as Trump returned to the presidency, the pace of his reactions was very quick and unexpected. His rhetoric, his statements.
I think at that moment, the Russians got really scared. When he started talking about sanctions, about his other steps. His moves are very unexpected for them. And for them anything unexpected is worrying," Zelensky said.
The head of state believes that Ukraine currently lacks quick and decisive action from its partners. He is convinced that the West's slow reaction gives Putin time to adapt and develop new strategies of aggression.
"In the long game, the Russians are fairly strong. They have an authoritarian system. Under authoritarianism, everything is bureaucratic. It might move slowly, but it moves. But swift actions are another story. That's why I feel we do not have enough strong, swift actions," the Ukrainian leader summed up.
For reference:
On March 24, in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, after US representatives met with Ukrainian representatives the day before, new negotiations were held between the American and Russian delegations. They lasted more than 12 hours.
Following the negotiations, the US, Ukrainian, and Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia agreed to work on a ceasefire in the Black Sea and a ban on strikes on energy infrastructure.
At the same time, Russia published its final statement after a meeting with American officials in Saudi Arabia. It states, in particular, that the United States has promised to facilitate the resumption of Russian exports of agricultural products and fertilizers to other countries, reduce the cost of marine insurance, and expand access to ports and payment systems for such transactions by lifting sanctions.
It is worth noting that the White House released its final statement after talks between American and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia. It differs from the one published by the Russians. In particular, the White House did not mention lifting sanctions on Russia to achieve a ceasefire in the Black Sea.
