Western intelligence agencies kept contact with Russia during full-scale war, Zelensky says

The U.S. and European countries remained in contact with Russia throughout the full-scale war, namely on the level of intelligence agencies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21.

"The U.S. and Russia maintained contacts on various levels during the three years of the war… and Europeans too," Zelensky said in a meeting with international journalists.

Zelensky noted that "diplomacy has to have an isolationist quality, just like sanctions. If the leaders don't talk, but the intelligence agencies are constantly in touch, then, in principle, this may suit Russia."

The Western countries have largely cut official contacts with Russia following the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022. The international isolation imposed on the Kremlin appears to be weakening as U.S. President Donald Trump announced his intention to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential peace deal.

Commenting on the news that Trump plans to arrange a phone call with Putin, Zelensky said he is not surprised by Washington's efforts to establish contact with the Kremlin but believes Ukraine "should be the priority because we are the allies of the U.S."

Trump's new secretary of state, Marco Rubio, recently confirmed in an interview that the Trump administration will aim for a sustainable peace deal so that the war with Russia does not begin anew in two to four years.

Trump said earlier if Putin does not come to the negotiating table, Moscow may face fresh economic sanctions.

‘It needs to end’ — State Secretary Rubio’s position on Russia’s war against Ukraine

As state secretary, Marco Rubio will oversee the implementation of the president’s foreign policy, including that relating to Russia’s full-scale war — which wasn’t directly referred to during Donald Trump’s inauguration speech.

The Kyiv IndependentChris York

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