ROME, July 4. /TASS/. The dialogue between Moscow and Kiev, as well as improvement in Russia-Ukraine relations are possible if Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky fulfils his election promises and starts talking to his compatriots in the Donbass Region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the Italian Corriere della Sera newspaper ahead of his visit to Italy.
"[The constructive dialogue with Kiev] is possible if Zelensky delivers on his election campaign promises, particularly engages directly with his compatriots in Donbass and ceases branding them as separatists. If the Ukrainian authorities implement the Minsk Agreements, instead of ignoring them," Putin said, adding that "Ukrainian citizens are expecting real actions from Zelensky and his team, quick changes for better, rather than declarations."
Putin pointed out that the new Ukrainian authorities will have to address the issues left unresolved by the previous leadership. "Forceful Ukranization, bans to use Russian language that is native for millions of Ukrainian citizens, including bans to use it in universities and school [as the language of instruction], raging neo-Nazism, the civil conflict in the southeast of the country, the attempts of the previous authorities to destroy the fragile inter-religious peace - this is just a small part of the unpleasant "baggage", which the new president needs to deal with," he believes.
"And, of course, the authorities in Kiev need to finally realize that developing pragmatic cooperation between Russia and Ukraine based on trust and mutual understanding is in the best common interests, rather than confrontation [between the two countries]. We are ready for it," Putin underlined.