Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the possibility of coming to any kind of compromise with Russian leader Vladimir Putin following the death of Alexander Prigozhin, a close ally of Putin and the leader of the infamous Wagner Group mercenary unit.
In a statement, Zelensky voiced support for the use of “diplomatic and political measures, in line with international law, in order to de-escalate the conflict in Ukraine” but noted that the death of Prigozhin meant there was no chance of any meaningful compromise with the Kremlin. He said:
“The only real verbal exchange between Ukraine and the Russian Federation should take place within existing international frameworks, without the leadership of war criminal Alexander Prigozhin, and without the participation of his mercenaries. Ukraine continues to seek an end to the military aggression and illegal occupation of Crimea through diplomatic and political measures.”
Zelensky’s clear stance on the impossibility of compromise with the Kremlin signals his firm commitment to the defense of the Ukrainian state against Russian aggression.
