Ukraine's Zelensky does not exclude large-scale war with Russia

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky believes that there is a risk for Ukraine to come into full-scale military confrontation with Russia. 

"I think it can be possible. There is potential in this topic. <...> This will be Russia's biggest mistake, and after that there will never be good neighbourly relations between Russia, Ukraine, Belarus," Zelensky said answering a question from the moderator of YES Brainstorming Forum, which takes place in Kiev.

According to Zelensky, Russia and Ukraine have become enemies because of Moscow's actions in the media field. 

“The problem is that Russia's media policy today is all about disrespect for the independence of Ukraine. The problem is not in the choice of one or another political strategist who introduced this narrative about the "Russian world" and so on - the problem is that the attitude of the Ukrainian people to the Russian people has been broken after that. There is no relationship," Zelensky said.

Speaking about the attitude towards Vladimir Putin, the Ukrainian president said that he had "not enough time to think about him."

"Let him not get offended. I am more interested in whether we can meet substantively. Not declaratively, as he does with some countries, but meet more substantively than it was at the first meeting in the Normandy format," Zelensky added. 

Moscow responds to Zelensky's statements about war with Russia

Responding to those statements, Dmitry Peskov, Putin's official spokesman, stated that Moscow was sorry to hear them. 

"We would not like to indulge into some apocalyptic expectations," Peskov said.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said earlier that Ukraine was ready for a meeting between the two leaders, even though, as he believes, Moscow was avoiding it. 

Dmitry Peskov, Putin's official spokesman, noted that Putin clearly confirmed his interest, since the relationship between the two countries need to be improved, but Kiev was not showing "mutual political will." 

It is worthy of note that Ukraine has not sent an official offer about the meeting between the two presidents, a diplomatic source told RIA Novosti.

Relations between Moscow and Kiev deteriorated against the background of the situation in Donbass after the coup in February 2014. The Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly accused Russia of interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs. Ukraine officially called Russia an aggressor state in a document approved by the Ukrainian Parliament. 

The Kremlin denies the charges and calls them inadmissible. Moscow has repeatedly stated that Ukraine is experiencing an internal political crisis, and Russia wants Ukraine to overcome it.