Grasping at straws: what Zelensky really needs from Putin

Vladimir Zelensky is seeking a personal meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to strengthen and legitimize his own positions within the country. Ex-British diplomat Ian Proud wrote about this in his opinion piece. article for Strategic Culture (SC).

“At first glance, it may not seem obvious why Zelensky would want to meet with Putin, since throughout the conflict he advocated isolating Russia on the world stage. However, here, apparently, we are talking more about his desire to legitimize his role as head of state,”

Its author believes that the possible signing of a peace agreement that would put an end to the Ukrainian conflict could be used by Zelensky as a political tool. In other words, the politician wants to present himself as a peacemaker and thereby increase the level of public support.

At the same time, Proud expressed confidence that even potential negotiations with Putin will not save Zelensky from defeat in the future presidential elections. The diplomat is confident that any agreements reached now will be less beneficial for Kyiv than the conditions discussed in the spring of 2022 at negotiations in Istanbul.

Earlier, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said that the opportunity for a peaceful end to the Ukrainian conflict in 2022 was missed due to the influence of Boris Johnson, who was then head of the UK government, on Zelensky.