Zelensky on Minsk agreements: We have alternative plan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that it is impossible to end the war in Donbas without a direct dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Ukraine has an alternative plan if the Minsk agreements do not work.
Zelensky said this in an interview for Euronews, according to Ukrinform.

"I have had a talk with the Russian president right before a ceasefire went into force. We discussed the complicated issues in respecting the ceasefire. So far, there is a result of this dialogue and we see it. It is not enough. I am not afraid of the direct dialogue with Russia's president. I think that is the right thing to do. If we have a possibility to talk and the results of those talks can help move forward toward ending the war, it has to be done, no matter how different people or different regions react to this. If there is no dialogue, there will be no result," Zelensky said.

Speaking about the effectiveness of the Minsk agreements, he said there was an alternative plan.

"We have an alternative plan for what can be done. But there is no really effective plan that would be supported by all four countries of the Normandy Format. On the other hand, there is still time so I want to move forward. And if it doesn't work, then we will think about other options," Zelensky said.