Zelenskyy dismisses Putin’s 'historical s---' in peace talks as ‘delay tactic,’ urges focus on ending the war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday dismissed what he described as Vladimir Putin’s "historical s---," saying he has no interest in debating the past and wants peace talks focused squarely on ending the war.

In a pointed post on X, Zelenskyy described Russia's historical arguments as a "delay tactic," accusing Moscow of using them to stall meaningful negotiations. He argued the only issue worth discussing with Putin is how to bring the war to a swift and successful end.

Putin has long made claims about the history of Ukraine and Russia, including a 2021 piece he wrote that discussed his position that "Russians and Ukrainians were one people" and that the two countries are "essentially the same historical and spiritual space." Zelenskyy said debates about history will not accomplish the goal of reaching peace, and will only prolong the process of reaching a resolution.

"I have been to Russia – to many cities. And I knew a lot of people there. He [Putin] has never been to Ukraine this many times. He was only in big cities. I went to small cities. From the northern part to the southern part. Everywhere. I know their mentality. That's why I don't want to lose time on all these things," Zelenskyy wrote.

The remarks came after another round of talks between Ukrainian, U.S. and Russian officials in Switzerland; meetings the Ukrainian president suggested had produced limited progress.

"As of today, we cannot say that the outcome of the meetings in Geneva is sufficient," Zelenskyy explained, saying that while military representatives had discussed certain issues "seriously and substantively," sensitive political matters, possible compromises and a potential meeting between leaders have not yet been adequately worked through.

Putin ally whose views on Ukrainian history closely align with the Russian president’s.

"It would seem obvious to anyone familiar with history at the primary school level: Russians and Ukrainians are historically — one people," he wrote in a November op-ed for the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda.