'It's disrespectful to come to Moscow and not Kyiv' — Zelensky voices doubts as meeting with Witkoff, Kushner expected
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President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced doubts about peace talks in an April 20 interview, as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet with Ukrainian officials amid stalled negotiations with Russia.
"I consider their arrival is needed by them, not us... It's disrespectful to come to Moscow and not Kyiv, it's just disrespectful. I understand we have complex logistics... If they don't want to, we can meet in other countries," Zelensky said in a wide-ranging interview with Ukrainian outlet ICTV.
Kushner and Witkoff have flown to Moscow several times and met Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Jan. 22 visit. The envoys previously met Ukrainian officials but have not yet travelled to Kyiv.
The two envoys were expected to visit Kyiv in April, but Zelensky cast doubt on the format of talks, telling journalists on April 8 that it was "difficult to say" whether there would soon be a meeting in Ukraine's capital or whether it would take place in another location involving all three negotiating teams.
"We should not make the arrival of Jared and Wikoff some sort of special sensation because, first of all, we are in contact with them," Zelensky said in his interview.
"They are in contact (with us) over the phone, and it is over the phone that they express their desire to continue communication and negotiations."
A U.S. delegation led by Witkoff and Kushner met with Ukrainian officials in Miami on March 22 in an effort to broker a peace deal.
The quickest way to end Russia's war would be to cease hostilities along the current line of contact, but Moscow is currently unwilling to do so, Zelensky said.
"There was a mutual understanding that we want a simple format because all that is complicated is difficult to implement."
"Let's first cease fire long term, and this could be the end of the war in the form of combat," Zelensky said.
If a long-term ceasefire is established, Russia's war could be resolved with diplomacy, but the Kremlin continues to issue the ultimatum that Ukraine withdraw from its eastern Donbas region, Zelensky noted.
"(I)f the question is no, the only condition is to withdraw, then it looks like they agreed without us," Zelensky said of the U.S.-brokered talks with Russia.
On March 31, Zelensky said that Russia is giving Ukraine two months to withdraw from the Donbas region or face new demands, with Moscow signaling to Washington that it could seize the region by force within that period.
Ukraine has refused to withdraw from the territory it controls.
"First is the question of security, if we leave Donbas as they want... It is a strategic loss for us, as well as a strategic loss for the Armed Forces. Fortifications, defense lines (will be lost), we definitely become weaker," Zelensky said in his interview.
The U.S. is ready to provide funding for new military infrastructure, which the White House has signaled could be built, but the process would take time, he said.
"Why should we do this? An urbanized zone is still stronger than any defense lines in a field."
"The question of urbanized zones, the question of the 200,000 people that live there, the question of whether taking a step back will weaken morale in our army, the question of how many people have died there already. Today I consider this step to be irresponsible," Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader questioned what security guarantees could be provided to Ukraine and how effective any assurances could be without boots on the ground.
"If there is no presence of our allies on the contact line, why won't Russia start a new offensive after some time? What will contain them?"
The White House says U.S. President Donald Trump could guarantee security, but he is out of office in 2.5 years, Zelensky said.
"(T)hen what will we do?"
