Oleksiy Arestovich, a freelance adviser to the head of the office of the Ukrainian president, has accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of betraying Kiev's interests during her recent talks with Volodymyr Zelensky.
In an interview with the news network Ukraina 24 on Thursday, Arestovich described Zelensky's recent visit to Germany and his subsequent negotiations with Merkel as fruitless.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a joint news conference following a meeting of the Normandy Four leaders at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France. 2019.
The adviser argued that the 12 July talks did not bring about any results because "Mrs Merkel stood firm for seven years, but in the end she betrayed Ukrainian interests a bit in favour of Russia".
According to Arestovich, Zelensky failed to find "common ground" with Merkel on a number of issues, including the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and the implementation of the so-called Steinmeier Formula, a mechanism aimed at adding to the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Sputnik reported.
Referring to Merkel as "an outgoing politician", Arestovich suggested that "polite statements" by the German chancellor and Zelensky during their joint press conference were apparently made in order "not to quarrel".
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters that he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel "have different views" on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project
