Putin rages at ‘rude’ Zelensky as he refuses to meet Ukrainian President to end war | World | News
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s open letter was “rude” as the despot rejected a proposed meeting. The Russian leader was responding to a public appeal from Zelensky, who urged him to hold direct talks aimed at bringing an end to the war Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin said Zelensky’s message contained “elements of rudeness” and questioned whether it had been intended to pave the way for negotiations. “And this letter really does contain elements of rudeness. What is this? Is this a way of creating conditions for personal meetings and negotiations? Or is it creating a situation in which it is actually impossible to hold any personal meetings at all?” he said. Putin also referred to what he described as a “terrible crime” in Starobilsk, claiming there had been “not a single military target” there. The Russian president said he had contacted a Russian businessman who met Zelensky in Kyiv in May and asked him to explain the contradiction between Ukraine’s call for talks and the attack. …









