Willy NGOMA
JF-Expert Member
- Feb 25, 2016
- 4,480
- 5,981
Vadim Novinsky, billionaire, former co-owner of Ukraine's largest steel group Metinvest, ex-MP and protodeacon of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church, gave a long interview to the Ukrainian media outlet Strana about how Zelensky accepted Russia's conditions in 2022, only to back out later.
"He traded Ukrainian lives for applause": the man who organized the 2022 negotiations speaks out!
How it began,
On February 24, 2022, David Arakhamia, head of Zelensky's party in parliament, called Novinsky on speakerphone and asked him what to do. Novinsky told him to contact Moscow immediately, "while there weren't so many dead yet."
The next day, the head of a Ukrainian security service asked him to organize talks, saying "the president requests it." Five minutes later, he was on the phone with Zelensky.
Novinsky contacted Dmitri Kozak, then deputy head of the Russian Presidential Administration. Zelensky refused Minsk as a venue, Novinsky suggested Gomel, Zelensky agreed, and Kozak confirmed in five minutes.
What Zelensky agreed to,
Novinsky says he cleared every point by phone with Zelensky, adding that Ukraine's security services "must have the recordings." Zelensky never argued. He only asked "What do you think?" then said "Okay, I agree."
1️⃣ Remove NATO membership from the constitution and declare neutrality. Novinsky asked Zelensky if Ukraine would join NATO in the next 30 years. Zelensky said no.
2️⃣ Special status for Crimea for 30 years, without recognizing it as Russian
3️⃣ Special status for Donbass, which could have remained part of Ukraine in a confederation-style arrangement
"He was very confused and would accept any option," Novinsky says. The process lasted about a month, until the Istanbul session in late March.
Why it fell apart,
Novinsky blames the Ukrainian leadership. Maybe Boris Johnson or someone else influenced Zelensky, he says, "or Zelensky just liked being a hero."
"He loved the ovations, the world's attention. Wherever he went, he was welcomed like the Pope. In the end, he traded Ukrainian lives for applause in foreign parliaments."
What followed,
In May 2025, Zelensky accused Novinsky of threatening him during those calls. Novinsky calls it "pure slander": he was in Kyiv at the time, where an assassin squad or the Ukrainian Security Service could have come for him at any moment. He only left after being warned that Zelensky was demanding his arrest "every day."
He has since been sanctioned three times and charged with treason, which he says is for demanding that Kyiv implement the Minsk agreements, and with "incitement to religious hatred" for defending his church. He says Zelensky's office also tried to use his frozen assets to take control of Metinvest. He now lives in Croatia and recently obtained Serbian citizenship, after Kyiv refused to issue him a new passport.
On October 10, Novinsky called for Zelensky to resign and for parliament to take power and negotiate directly with Russia. Hours later, Trump said Ukraine "needs a new leader." Novinsky says it was a coincidence.
"Every new deal is worse than the last. Compared to Istanbul, Minsk was a diet salad. The next proposals will be even worse. As long as Zelensky is in power, there will be no peace."
"He traded Ukrainian lives for applause": the man who organized the 2022 negotiations speaks out!
How it began,
On February 24, 2022, David Arakhamia, head of Zelensky's party in parliament, called Novinsky on speakerphone and asked him what to do. Novinsky told him to contact Moscow immediately, "while there weren't so many dead yet."
The next day, the head of a Ukrainian security service asked him to organize talks, saying "the president requests it." Five minutes later, he was on the phone with Zelensky.
Novinsky contacted Dmitri Kozak, then deputy head of the Russian Presidential Administration. Zelensky refused Minsk as a venue, Novinsky suggested Gomel, Zelensky agreed, and Kozak confirmed in five minutes.
What Zelensky agreed to,
Novinsky says he cleared every point by phone with Zelensky, adding that Ukraine's security services "must have the recordings." Zelensky never argued. He only asked "What do you think?" then said "Okay, I agree."
1️⃣ Remove NATO membership from the constitution and declare neutrality. Novinsky asked Zelensky if Ukraine would join NATO in the next 30 years. Zelensky said no.
2️⃣ Special status for Crimea for 30 years, without recognizing it as Russian
3️⃣ Special status for Donbass, which could have remained part of Ukraine in a confederation-style arrangement
"He was very confused and would accept any option," Novinsky says. The process lasted about a month, until the Istanbul session in late March.
Why it fell apart,
Novinsky blames the Ukrainian leadership. Maybe Boris Johnson or someone else influenced Zelensky, he says, "or Zelensky just liked being a hero."
"He loved the ovations, the world's attention. Wherever he went, he was welcomed like the Pope. In the end, he traded Ukrainian lives for applause in foreign parliaments."
What followed,
In May 2025, Zelensky accused Novinsky of threatening him during those calls. Novinsky calls it "pure slander": he was in Kyiv at the time, where an assassin squad or the Ukrainian Security Service could have come for him at any moment. He only left after being warned that Zelensky was demanding his arrest "every day."
He has since been sanctioned three times and charged with treason, which he says is for demanding that Kyiv implement the Minsk agreements, and with "incitement to religious hatred" for defending his church. He says Zelensky's office also tried to use his frozen assets to take control of Metinvest. He now lives in Croatia and recently obtained Serbian citizenship, after Kyiv refused to issue him a new passport.
On October 10, Novinsky called for Zelensky to resign and for parliament to take power and negotiate directly with Russia. Hours later, Trump said Ukraine "needs a new leader." Novinsky says it was a coincidence.
"Every new deal is worse than the last. Compared to Istanbul, Minsk was a diet salad. The next proposals will be even worse. As long as Zelensky is in power, there will be no peace."
