President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he has been rushing to end Russia’s war in eastern Ukraine because Ukrainian soldiers are being killed almost daily.
“To be honest, the statistics is the following: every two days we have one person (killed),” Zelensky said at the press conference in Kyiv on Oct. 10. “I have a table with their last names.”
He said he chose the diplomatic solution of the conflict because he doesn’t want to lose more lives in Donbas.
“Our top priority is our people. Our land is the next priority,” he said.
Zelensky said he spoke on Oct. 9 with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel by phone, where they discussed a possible date of the meeting between leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France in a so-called Normandy format.
The previous date discussed for this meeting was Sept. 16, but Russia refused it, Zelensky said.
He said Merkel would discuss the possible date of the meeting with President of France Emmanuel Macron and President of Russian Vladimir Putin.
He added that he plans to discuss the return of the Russian-annexed Crimea during the Normandy talks.
“For me, Normandy format is also the way to return to the discussion about Crimea,” he said. “Now it’s not being discussed.”
Zelensky also said the talks in the Normandy format could help release Ukrainian prisoners captured by Russia and Russian proxies in Donbas.
But if the Normandy talks fail, he would use other ways to help release them, including talks in Minsk format or his direct talks with Putin.
“I’m ready for these talks regarding release and return of our people,” he said.
Zelensky also answered the criticism regarding his plan, which sparked mass protests in Kyiv last week. “When some people call this treason, I think treason is to prevent me from executing my presidential duties and promises to stop the war,” he said.
He said the “Steinmeier Formula” plan would be implemented in a special Ukrainian law.
He, however, admitted that if Ukraine would not be able to hold free elections in the Russian-occupied part of Donbas and control the border with Russia, he would abandon this plan and seek a different solution.
“If we would not be able to control the election there (at the Russian-occupied territories), or the border, I’ll go back to you and we will not follow this plan in the near future and will look for other options.”
