Donetsk Militia Leader Says Ukraine's Zelenskyy Never Contacted Him

DONETSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd May, 2021) The head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) told Sputnik in an interview that neither Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, nor members of his team, have ever tried to reach him.

"It would probably be logical and sensible for us to start talking. Because a conflict can only be settled through dialogue. But he never went for it," Denis Pushilin said.

The Donetsk militia leader told Sputnik that neither Zelenskyy, nor his aides, ever tried to reach him informally through messaging apps, such as Telegram or WhatsApp. This is despite Pushilin having repeatedly expressed readiness for talks.

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that if Zelenskyy wanted to discuss Donbas, then he needed to meet with the leaders of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) first.