Ukrainian leader proposes talks with Putin in Belarus

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Ukraine’s president on Monday proposed holding his first talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

"We need to talk? We do. Let’s talk. Let’s discuss whose Crimea is and who is not in Donbass," the restive area in eastern Ukraine, said Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"I suggest the following company for our conversation: You and I, US President Donald Trump, British Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron," Zelenskyy said in a video address.

Zelenskyy said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will be glad to welcome them for talks.

"We do not change or reject any diplomatic formats. We suggest you to talk. We need to talk, don’t we?" he added.

For Russia's part, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Kremlin will consider Zelenskyy's proposal in the new format, but Moscow is not ready to give an answer.

"This is a new initiative. Of course, it will be considered, but so far I cannot give any reaction," Peskov was quoted as saying by Russia’s official news agency TASS.

Ukraine has been wracked by conflict since March 2014 following Russia’s annexation of Crimea after an illegal independence vote.

The UN General Assembly voted to proclaim the Russian annexation illegal.

The annexation led Western powers, including the U.S., to impose sanctions on Moscow.

Along with the UN General Assembly, the U.S., EU and Turkey do not recognize Crimea as Russian territory.

Additionally, since the annexation, Ukraine has been wracked by conflict in its eastern regions. Fighting with separatists in the Donbass area has led to more than 10,000 deaths, according to the UN.

An incident near the Sea of Azov last November, resulting in Russia's detention of some 24 Ukrainian sailors, added to tensions between the two countries.