The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been going on for almost a month now, and while Ukrainians are determined to win, the end of this war can't come soon enough with the death toll and human cost involved. As a Fox News update posted by Brie Stimson shared, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now calling for meeting directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The comments came during Zelenskyy's Friday night address, when he called for how "It's time to meet. Time to talk." He indicated he wants everyone to hear him make such a point, but those "especially in Moscow."
Zelenskyy emphasized his willingness for diplomacy as a key takeaway from his speech, also offering how it would be in Russia's interest as well:
But this tactic of their military only worsens the situation for the Russian state. Leads to new and new destructive sanctions. Encourages new members to join our anti-war coalition. It allows us to unite even those states that have always tried to remain neutral to put pressure on Russia.
Therefore, negotiations on peace, on security for us, for Ukraine - meaningful, fair and without delay - are the only chance for Russia to reduce the damage from its own mistakes.
We have always insisted on negotiations. We have always offered dialogue, offered solutions for peace. Not only during 23 days of invasion.
And I want everyone to hear me now, especially in Moscow. It's time to meet. Time to talk. It is time to restore territorial integrity and justice for Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia's losses will be so huge that several generations will not be enough to rebound.
Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk also announced that 10 humanitarian corridors "have been agreed upon to evacuate residents of settlements affected by the Russian invasion." Zelenskyy has called out Russians for attacking ceasefires before, though.
"Ukraine's proposals are on the table," he shared later in that speech.
Zelenskyy has called for meeting with Putin directly multiple times before, including earlier this month, when he mentioned, "I don’t bite. What are you afraid of?" He also called on Putin to meet last month, shortly before the invasion began.
In a speech from the night before, Zelenskyy had also warned that "I am confident that by attacking us, they will destroy everything that Russian society has achieved over the past 25 years. And they will return to where they once began to rise from, as they say, to the 'the wicked 90's.'"
Zelenskyy had mentioned negotiation efforts and the appeals he has made and will make to Israel, as well as other countries. "In the coming days, I will continue to appeal to the nations of the world to call for peace for Ukraine. My appeal to the Swiss people is ahead, to the people and to the state," Zelenskyy shared. "Appeals to Israel, Italy and Japan are also planned. The world hears Ukraine's position. The world supports our defenders, defenders of Ukraine."
As I covered last week, Israel has emerged as a negotiator between Ukraine and Russia, with the Financial Times reporting since then that "Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has been the primary international mediator on the talks, three people familiar with the matter said, following a surprise visit to Moscow on March 5, with back-to-back talks with both leaders as recently as two days ago."