Zelenskyy casts doubt on Putin meeting after Bucha atrocities

Kyiv, Apr 5 (EFE).- Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy downplayed the chances of a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin after Russian forces allegedly carried out atrocities against the civilian population of Bucha, a town outside Kyiv.

“It is possible that there will be no meeting,” Zelenskyy told reporters Tuesday, describing the actions in Bucha as a genocide.

The Ukrainian leader visited the town on Monday afternoon.

The Kremlin, which denies being responsible for the murder of civilians in Bucha although has provided no evidence for its claims, insisted that Putin was still open to meeting with Zelenskyy but only once a peace deal is agreed in writing in the ongoing peace negotiations.

Putin’s spokesman Dmirty Peskov, who said the same thing on Monday, added: “Nothing has changed for us on this matter.”

The harrowing images emerging from Bucha, which was under Russian control until recently, have shocked the international community and prompted institutions such as the European Union to draw up further sanctions on Russia. EFE

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