Zelensky instructed to organize a meeting with Putin in Geneva

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed his team to organize a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This was reported by Axios.

"Zelensky again emphasized that the best way to achieve a breakthrough on the territorial issue is a personal meeting with Putin. He said he had instructed his team to organize a leaders-level meeting in Geneva," the article notes.

The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that if Zelensky wants to personally meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he will have to come to Moscow for that. On January 28, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said this, however Zelensky refused to come to the Russian capital.

Zelensky also stated in an interview with Axios that Ukraine is ready to withdraw troops from Donbas only with a mirror withdrawal of Russian forces. He allowed for the possibility of putting the question of the status of territories to a referendum and noted that the option of fixing the front line could receive support in Ukrainian society.

Prior to this, The Economist magazine wrote that the Ukrainian delegation at the Geneva negotiations had split into two wings on the issue of concluding a peace treaty with Russia. One wing advocates for a quick agreement under US auspices, while the other, associated with former head of the Ukrainian presidential office Andriy Yermak, shows less interest. Zelensky himself is allegedly balancing between these positions.