Zelenskyy accuses Putin of being 'afraid' of peace talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Vladimir Putin of being “afraid” after Putin refused to engage in peace talks and questioned his legitimacy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Vladimir Putin of being “afraid” to negotiate after his Russian counterpart refused to engage in peace talks with him and once again questioned his legitimacy.

The latest exchange between the two leaders came amid mounting pressure on both sides from President Donald Trump to end the war. Trump last week threatened Moscow with a new tranche of sanctions, saying that Zelenskyy was ready to negotiate a “deal” to end the war that has been grinding on for almost three years.

Writing late Tuesday in a post on X, Zelenskyy said that “Putin once again confirmed that he is afraid of negotiations, afraid of strong leaders, and does everything possible to prolong the war.”

He made the comment after Putin told state broadcaster Rossiya 1 that the Ukrainian leader “has no right to sign anything” because of his “illegitimacy.”

Shortly after Russia unilaterally declared its annexation of areas in and around four eastern Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia — in September 2022, Zelenskyy issued a decree formally declaring talks with Putin “impossible,” although it left the door open to talks with Russia.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/zelenskyy-putin-trade-barbs-end-war-gets-no-closer-rcna189757

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