Zelensky labels Russian negotiators as ‘idiots’
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky strongly criticized Moscow’s proposal for a brief ceasefire to retrieve soldiers’ bodies from the battlefield, calling the Russian delegation “idiots.”
During the second round of direct peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Moscow’s delegation, suggested a temporary halt in fighting in some areas to allow for the collection and Christian burial of fallen soldiers. Medinsky explained this would help avoid disease and provide dignity to the deceased.
Zelensky dismissed the proposal at a Q&A session, insisting a ceasefire should aim to save lives, not simply retrieve bodies. “They are ready for a two- or three-day pause just to collect the dead. I think they are idiots.”
Medinsky stated that Russia has already decided to transfer back the remains of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers and officers after identifying them through DNA testing.
Zelensky disregarded Medinsky’s role in negotiations, calling him a low-level official who “does not even know technical details.” He insisted that the exchange of soldiers’ bodies already occurs directly between army units, without needing a formal truce.
He called on the USA to apply more pressure on Moscow through sanctions to help Ukraine’s peace conditions be met.
Ukraine is insisting on a full 30-day ceasefire as a prerequisite for further peace talks — a proposal Moscow rejects, arguing it would allow Ukrainian troops to regroup and prepare for future attacks.
Zelensky previously dismissed the Russian delegation as a “theater prop” during the first peace talks in May, a comment that drew criticism from Moscow.
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