Zelensky: We don't have "relations" with Russia after Crimea annexation, war in Donbas, and it's still too early to talk about them- we have just started dialogue
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky notes that there is no word "relationship" between Ukraine and the Russian Federation after the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the outbreak of war in Donbas, and it is still very, very early to talk about such a concept.
"Unfortunately, we have lost this word ["relationship."] And we lost the meaning of this word between our countries, after Russia illegally annexed Crimea and the war began in eastern Ukraine," he said at a joint briefing in Vienna on Tuesday with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, answering a question about his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky noted that before, Ukrainians and Russians had called each other "brothers and sisters," and the countries had had excellent relations.
"And today there are 14,000 killed people, and today there are no two territories of our independent country. Therefore, I have not yet found a word about what is 'between us,'" he stressed.
At the same time, Zelensky pointed out that the leadership of Ukraine and the Russian Federation began to speak, which led to a regime of ceasefire, which is "more complicated than we thought, but it exists," thanks to which Ukraine was still able to return home 140 of its citizens.
"I believe that this is the beginning of a dialogue. And it seems to me that it is still very, very early for us to speak about the 'relations,'" he added.