Macron seeks alternative dialogue with Russia, we all want to end war – Zelenskyy
French President Emmanuel Macron paid a visit to Russia because he is convinced that the EU should be in the process of ending the Russian-Ukrainian war and have its voice, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
"I think there are no secrets here. Emmanuel is seeking an alternative dialogue with Russia. Emmanuel said this both publicly and privately – that we all want to end this war. He believes that Europe should be in the process of ending the war and have its voice. And we hear the position on this that Europe would like this or that state, or this or that leader, who is looking for a new platform for dialogue with the Russians, for this leader to be accepted by all of Europe and represent the interests of all of Europe," Zelenskyy told reporters.
When asked about the EU's perception of the trilateral Ukrainian-U.S.-Russian talks on ending the war, which took place in Abu Dhabi (UAE) on February 4 and 5, he replied: "We want the war to end, and not in favor of the aggressor. Therefore, the first step is for no one to end this war at a bilateral meeting without Ukraine. In my opinion, this is the most important thing. Bilateral – I mean America and Russia. That is, this war cannot be ended without us."
"A trilateral meeting is definitely a fair and reliable story. Trilateral, because there is a moderator. Now it is the USA. We would like it to be the USA and Europe. We constantly emphasize this, we also defend the interests of Europe, but we get a signal that today we are talking about a Ukraine-USA-Russia meeting," Zelensky added.