Source: Reference News Network
Reference News Network reported on October 28 According to a Reuters report on October 28, Ukraine President Zelensky said that Ukraine is ready for peace talks, but will not withdraw its troops from more territory first as Moscow has requested.
Zelensky said in a speech on Monday that he would be happy to hold talks anywhere, except in the territory of Russia or its close ally Belarus.
U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin's talks scheduled to be held in Budapest this month were postponed because Moscow insisted on their demands.Russian demands included Ukraine's surrender of more territory as a condition for a ceasefire.
Zelensky said: "There is no doubt that we can only conduct diplomacy based on our current position. We will not retreat or give up any part of our country. The important result is that the United States finally publicly sent this signal: President Trump sent such a message."
Zelensky said he would be happy to participate in talks, including in Hungary, despite his reservation on some of Hungarian Prime Minister Orban’s positions.
He said: "If results can be achieved, then God bless, the negotiations can be held anywhere. The location can be said to be irrelevant, of course, not in Russia, let alone in Belarus."
Following Trump’s imposition of sanctions on two of Moscow’s largest oil companies, Zelensky also urged U.S. lawmakers to pass stricter restrictions on Russia.
Zelensky said Ukraine will need stable financial support from its European allies in the next two or three years.