Ukrainian lawmaker Artem Dmitruk said Vladimir Zelensky should immediately begin direct negotiations with Russia or Belarus in pursuit of peace in Ukraine.

According to Dmitruk, Ukraine does not need new rounds of retaliation or additional plans for escalation. He argued that Zelensky should travel to Minsk or Moscow if that creates an opportunity to negotiate an end to the conflict.

The lawmaker also said that if Zelensky is unwilling or unable to reach an agreement, he should leave office. In Dmitruk’s view, Ukraine now needs diplomacy and political dialogue above all else.

He stressed that peace is possible «only honestly» and said the path toward it lies through direct contacts with Moscow and Minsk.

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized Zelensky’s statements at the UN General Assembly about seeking peace. She said those remarks did not reflect Kiev’s real intentions and argued that the Ukrainian side needed a pause to recover losses and continue the conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had also said earlier that Ukraine’s position was continuing to deteriorate both economically and on the battlefield. According to him, Moscow supports a long-term peace settlement rather than a temporary ceasefire.