Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday he hasn’t given up on the prospect of negotiations with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, even as Russian forces continue to pummel Ukraine.
Zelenskyy told CNN that he has been ready to speak with Putin the past two years and warned that if talks failed, that would bring on a world war.
“If there is just 1% chance for us to stop this war, I think that we need to take this chance, we need to do that,” Zelenskyy said.
Talks between Russians and Ukrainians in Belarus have failed to yield an end to the destruction.
As of Saturday, at least 902 civilians had been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, according to the United Nations, which noted the actual death toll is likely much higher.
Ukrainian forces have surprised many observers for withstanding the Russian assault for weeks.
“We are able to deal a powerful blow, we are able to strike back,” Zelenskyy said. “But unfortunately, our dignity is not going to preserve … lives.
“We have to use any format, any chance in order to have a possibility of negotiating, a possibility of talking to Putin,” he added. “But if these attempts fail, that would mean that this is a third world war.”
