Zelenskyy: Ukraine not ready to talk with Putin

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the withdrawal of the occupying forces from Ukrainian territory should be the first step towards peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.

"In general, it is difficult for me to say who President Putin is or what he is. Putin today is a circle of people, this is a military-political leadership under the Putin brand, which is taking aggressive steps to destroy the nation," RBC-Ukraine reports citing the president's remarks during a conversation with students and representatives of the faculty of Yale University.

President Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine is not ready to talk today with Putin and in general with such a regime taking into account disrespect for sovereignty and freedom.

The president added that disrespect is that the Russian military are on Ukrainian territory and killing people here.

"So, the first step should be to withdraw the Russian troops from our territories," he said.

President Zelenskyy added that further conversation would also depend on the Russians' manner of leaving Ukraine. So, if the occupiers leave after they are pushed back by our defenders, this is one format of dialogue. If Russian troops leave Ukrainian lands, there will be a softer transition from war to diplomacy.

"Everything depends on the Russian military-political leadership. Russia must choose the format of dialogue for its society. How many years after the war will it be isolated from the world - 10-20 or 100 years? When your hands are in the blood, no one wants to give you a hand, and it is very difficult to wash off the blood," the president said.