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President Zelensky Rejects Moscow Visit and Invites Putin to Kyiv
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's suggestion to visit Moscow for diplomatic negotiations, marking the first such stance during an interview with Martha Raddatz, ABC News' Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, on the program "This Week."
During the interview, Zelensky said: "He (Putin) can come to Kyiv, but I cannot go to Moscow, and my country is subjected to daily missile strikes. I cannot go to the capital of this terrorist."
Raddatz replied: "Putin understands this."
These remarks came after Zelensky and Raddatz toured and sat at the site of an American factory in western Ukraine, which was recently targeted by a Russian missile attack.
The Ukrainian president repeatedly emphasized that Putin is not seeking to meet during the ongoing war in Ukraine. He indicated that Putin’s offer was aimed at "delaying the meeting," and clarified that he would be willing to meet in any format if such a meeting were to take place.
Zelensky explained that Putin "is playing games with the United States," adding: "If someone does not want to meet during a war, then such offers cannot be accepted by me or others."
