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Ukraine’s Zelensky to face obstacles on his path to peace, says Russian senator

The comments came in the follow-up to the Ukrainian president's 14-hour press conference on Thursday, October 10

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky

© AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

MOSCOW, October 11. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has confirmed that he is still guided by his election campaign promises to strive for peace during his hours-long press conference, however, he will be met with opposition by the "war party," Russian senator, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s (upper house) Foreign Affairs Committee Konstantin Kosachev said on Friday via Facebook.

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Zelensky vows his mission as president is to stop war in Donbass

According to the senator, "it struck a nice impression that he [Zelensky] unlike his predecessor [Pyotr Poroshenko] did not go into a smug militarist frenzy and directly branded himself as a 'president of peace,' which is the reason that the population elected him in the first place." Kosachev highlighted Zelensky’s remarks about the necessity to rewrite laws that divide Ukraine, as well as about financial losses the country suffers due to the suspension of flights between Ukraine and Russia. At the same time, "there was also room for inherently pointless statements such as the intention to discuss Crimea with the Normandy Four."

"However, overall Zelensky was trying to defend the theses that propelled him to power and, therefore, confirmed that public still wants to change the policy of war for a policy of peace. One does not need to be a fortune teller to predict what resistance this will meet — and is already meeting — by those supporting war until victory," Kosachev underlined.

"We will see who gets the upper hand. In a country, where streets decide key issues rather than a political dialogue, everything is possible," the senator concluded.

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