‘Slave to war’: Zelenskyy slams Putin ahead of US-Russia-Ukraine talks in Geneva

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy connected Saturday delivered a crisp informing astir Russia’s semipermanent intentions during high-stakes information discussions with European leaders astatine the Munich Security Conference.

He argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains fundamentally driven by warfare and improbable to wantonness his broader ambitions beyond Ukraine.Addressing delegates successful Munich, Zelenskyy portrayed Putin arsenic progressively detached from mean beingness and consumed by humanities visions of powerfulness and territorial expansion.

He said, "Putin is nary longer funny successful thing else. Putin does not unrecorded similar mean people.

He doesn't locomotion the streets. You volition not spot him successful a cafe. His grandchildren bash not spell to the normal, mean kindergartens successful their hometown. He cannot ideate beingness without powerfulness oregon aft power. Normal things bash not involvement him. Putin consults much with Tsar Peter and Empress Catherine astir territorial gains than with immoderate surviving idiosyncratic astir real, existent life.

Can you ideate Putin without war? Be honest."Zelenskyy further warned that adjacent if the existent signifier of warring were to subside, the menace of renewed oregon expanded struggle could persist for years.

He argued, "Right present his absorption is connected Ukraine, and nary 1 successful Ukraine believes helium volition ever fto our radical go. But helium volition not fto different European nations spell either, due to the fact that helium cannot fto spell of the precise thought of war. He whitethorn spot himself arsenic a Tsar, but successful world helium is simply a enslaved to war.

And if helium lives different 10 years, we tin recognize it tin beryllium warfare tin instrumentality oregon expand."

His remarks came arsenic diplomatic efforts to research a imaginable way toward ending the warfare gathered pace.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, besides speaking astatine the conference, questioned whether Moscow was genuinely prepared to negociate an extremity to the conflict, present nearing its 5th year.“We don't cognize if the Russians are superior astir ending the war,” Rubio said, according to AFP, adding that uncertainty continued to situation Russia’s intentions contempt ongoing diplomatic outreach.The comments travel up of caller US-brokered talks betwixt Russian and Ukrainian envoys scheduled to instrumentality spot adjacent week successful Geneva. The discussions, confirmed by some the Kremlin and Zelenskyy’s communications adviser, are expected to hap conscionable days earlier the 4th day of Russia’s full-scale penetration of Ukraine, arsenic Western officials proceed to propulsion for a model that could unfastened the doorway to a negotiated settlement.