“We hope for short contacts”: the Kremlin announced a request from Kiev for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin in Israel

During the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Israel and Palestine, a brief meeting with Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is not ruled out. This was announced by the assistant to the head of state, Yuri Ushakov. He noted that the trip was reduced from two days to one due to rearrangements in the Russian government.

“The program (visit. - RT ) is very rich, and if there are separate meetings, they will only be on their feet, will be very short. Of course, the president, in any case, will shake hands with the main participants (of the international forum “Keeping the memory of the Holocaust, fighting anti-Semitism.” - RT ), this is inevitable. Whether long conversations will take place is highly doubtful, there is simply no time physically, ”said Ushakov.

He noted that the Russian side received a number of requests for meetings of foreign leaders with Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of an international forum, including from Kiev. According to him, the Russian side did not refuse representatives of Vladimir Zelensky, but “taking into account the schedule, these meetings, at least long ones, do not seem possible”.

“The time (of Putin’s visit. - RT ) is extremely limited, everything is compressed to the limit, we just hope for separate short contacts, the so-called contacts on my feet,” said the Assistant to the President of Russia.

On Thursday, January 23, Vladimir Putin will visit Israel and Palestine. During the visit, negotiations will be held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the presidents of the Jewish state and Palestine, Reuven Rivlin and Mahmoud Abbas. In addition, a meeting is scheduled with Jaffa Issahar, the mother of an Israeli and US citizen, Naama Issahar, who was sentenced in the Russian Federation to seven and a half years in a penal colony for smuggling 9.6 grams of hashish.

At the same time, the President of Russia will speak at the international forum “Keeping the memory of the Holocaust, fighting anti-Semitism”, taking part in the inauguration of the bronze stele “The Candle of Remembrance” in the center of Jerusalem, dedicated to the heroic deed of the defenders and residents of besieged Leningrad during World War II, as well as in the ceremony of transferring the Order of Courage to the relatives of the hero of the uprising of the prisoners of the death camp of Sobibor Leon Feldgendler.

We add that the press service of the office of the President of Ukraine reported that at the moment a meeting between Vladimir Zelensky and Vladimir Putin is not planned.

“If the communication on the sidelines of the forum takes place, the President of Ukraine plans to discuss only issues of further release of the detained persons,” UNIAN agency cites the message.

Recall that on September 7, 2019, the exchange of held persons between Russia and Ukraine took place in the 35 to 35 format. Its participants, in particular, were 22 Ukrainian sailors and two SBU officers who took part in the incident in the Kerch Strait, as well as the chief editor of RIA Novosti Kirill Vyshinsky.

At the same time, on the eve of the previous director of the Ukrainian Institute of National Memory, Verkhovna Rada deputy Vladimir Vyatrovich criticized Zelensky for a trip to Israel. According to Vyatrovich, the Ukrainian leader was assigned the role of the “silent extras”, not being allowed to deliver a speech at the international forum “Keeping the memory of the Holocaust, fighting anti-Semitism”.

“This is the format of the invitation of the President of Ukraine by the Israeli side, which is flirting with Moscow more and more - humiliation of our state, disregard for the memory of millions of Ukrainian Jews - victims of the Holocaust and the contribution of the Ukrainian people to the victory over Nazism,” Vyatrovich wrote on Facebook.

“An occasion to meet cannot be superfluous”

According to political analyst Ivan Meziuho, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky is adequately interested in opportunities for dialogue with Vladimir Putin.

“Zelensky takes this opportunity to meet with the Russian leader because of the domestic political situation in the country. He cannot come to Russia on an official visit and cannot invite Putin to conduct high-level negotiations. Therefore, the Ukrainian president is interested in talking with the Russian leader on a neutral site. I don’t exclude that the head of the Ukrainian state may be interested in issues related to the exchange of citizens with the republics of Donbass, ”the source said.

In turn, political analyst Alexander Dudchak also reacted positively to the possible contact of the leaders of the two states. According to him, you need to use any occasion to discuss difficult relationships and try to resolve them.

“Russia never refused to meet with the current leadership of Ukraine, it would be a desire to look for ways to resolve the problems that were created artificially in 2014, and their roots go far beyond Ukraine, across the ocean. But any wars end, and maybe such meetings can help accelerate this process, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.