The US State Department has responded to the initiative of the UAE President, who proposed to organize a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a climate conference in Dubai. It is noted that the decision on a possible meeting should be made by the President of Ukraine.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: "We've made it clear that when it comes to determining the future of Ukraine, Kyiv is the first to decide, and this applies to any potential negotiations."
According to Miller, any decision to hold a meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia "must be made by President Zelenskyy."
He also recalled that for a long time "Zelenskyy is open to talks with Russia, provided that Moscow respects Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty."
Miller emphasized: "So let him decide for himself when he's ready or when they're going to have such conversations. But the obstacle has always been and remains that Putin has not abandoned his imperialistic goals, his belief that Ukraine, as he says, is not a real country, and has not withdrawn his troops from its borders."
Earlier, we reported that the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, expressed his desire to organize a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the UN Climate Conference to be held in Dubai in November-December.
