The minister noted that it’s the prerogative of the French president to talk to whomever he wishes, but no substantive diplomatic negotiations can be had with Putin.
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“You can keep calling Putin – it won’t make any difference,” said Kuleba.
“It’s pointless, as he’s a liar, and I think Emmanuel Macron knows this. I recall how much effort he has put into attempting to avert this war. That didn’t work. Nothing suggests Putin has changed his mind since.”
At the same time, the minister agreed with Macron’s thesis that Ukraine can negotiate a peace deal with Russia “at the right time.”
Read also: Ukrainian official mocks Russia’s “special military operation objectives”
“Any war ends in diplomacy,” Kuleba said.
“It remains to be seen what will be the circumstances when that eventually happens. Will we be victorious, or defeated? That’s what matters. We want to negotiate from a position of strength. And that can only be decided on the battlefield.”
The most recent phone call between French and Russian leaders was on Aug. 19, focusing on the situation at Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
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