PRESS RELEASE : In the event of an illegal show trial of the defenders of Mariupol, there will be no question of negotiations – Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 23 August 2022.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy notes that the inhumane treatment of the captured defenders of Mariupol, in particular the servicemen of the “Azov” special purpose regiment, will make negotiations with the Russian side impossible.

“These are understandable human conditions. If our prisoners are treated exactly as you said, then this is not about “red lines”. What negotiations can we talk about? This is the full stop. I have nothing to add,” said the Head of State during a meeting with media representatives following the negotiations with President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda in Kyiv, answering the question about his position in the event of an illegal show trial of captured “Azov” warriors.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that it is too early to talk about his possible participation in the G20 summit in November.

“I’ve already mentioned the conditions under which we are ready to be there, and we are grateful that Ukraine was invited. The format will depend on many factors. For me, first of all, this is the situation on the battlefield, at the front,” the President said.