Zelenskyy: The Economist speaks with a Russia narrative about alleged 'disagreements' within Ukrainian negotiating team
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied information from The Economist regarding alleged "disagreements" within the Ukrainian negotiating team, noting that the publication is speaking with an "absolutely Russia narrative."
"What The Economist says sounds quite offensive. I am doing everything so that various channels of communication between Ukrainians and Americans, or even Russians and Ukrainians, are all in one format. And The Economist is precisely speaking with an absolutely Russia narrative that they are divided within the negotiation process. The fact that the Russians constantly want to divide them – that is exactly a fact," Zelenskyy said in an interview with AFP.
The President noted that The Economist "got it a little mixed up" and is "presenting wishful thinking as reality."
"The Russians are constantly trying to do this: a quick peace with a withdrawal from Donbas. This is precisely the Russia idea – how to get Donbas faster without losing Russia personnel. And a quick end to the war was precisely our idea," he emphasized.
On February 17, Communications Advisor to the President of Ukraine Dmytro Lytvyn denied the existence of alleged disagreements in the Ukrainian delegation regarding participation in the negotiation process with the USA and representatives of Russia to achieve a fair and lasting peace.
"The negotiating team is unified; all this talk about ‘disagreements’ or ‘influences’ is simply untrue," Lytvyn wrote on social network X on Tuesday in response to the publication in The Economist.
The material claimed that disagreements were arising within the Ukrainian delegation: "One wing, led by Budanov, believes that Ukraine’s interests are best served by the rapid conclusion of an agreement under the auspices of the USA, and fears that the window for action may soon close. But another part, which is apparently still under the influence of former chief of staff Andriy Yermak, who resigned over a corruption scandal, is much less optimistic. Zelenskyy seems to be balancing between them while having his own ideas."
