Putin said ‘the time is not now’ when asked about a ceasefire in Ukraine or meeting Zelenskyy, Italian prime minister says

• Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said Russian leader Vladimir Putin rejected the idea of a ceasefire in Ukraine during a call.
• When urged to meet with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin said, “now is not the time,” according to Draghi.
• Putin’s goal in Ukraine “has not been the search for peace,” Draghi warned in an interview on Sunday.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the notion of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire during a call between the two leaders.

Draghi’s call with Putin on March 30 was to discuss peace between Kyiv and Moscow, reported English-language outlet The Local citing an interview with Il Corriere della Sera.

“I asked him: ‘When are you seeing Zelenskyy? Only you two can untie the knots,'” Draghi said, per The Local. “He replied: ‘The time is not now.’ I insisted: ‘Decide on a ceasefire.’ Again, ‘No: the time is not now,'” he added.

Draghi told Il Corriere della Sera: “So far, Putin’s goal has not been the search for peace, but the attempt to annihilate the Ukrainian resistance, occupy the country, and entrust it to a friendly government.”

The Italian leader’s comments come as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled in light of the discovery of mass killings in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha.

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has reportedly been trying to rekindle negotiations between the two nations, Bloomberg reported Saturday, as Western sanctions in retaliation for the invasion hone in on the billionaire’s assets.

Draghi also defended Italy’s decision to supply Ukraine with military equipment and weapons.

“What is the best way to help the attacked people?” he said, per Il Corriere della Sera. “Sanctions are essential to weaken the aggressor but fail to stop the troops in the short term. To do this, we need to help the Ukrainians directly, and that is what we are doing.”

In the same interview, Draghi also aired his frustration with Putin, saying that attempts to engage with the Russian leader are starting to feel like a “waste of time.”

Draghi, who was appointed prime minister in February last year, is attempting to reduce Italy’s dependence on Russia by diversifying its gas imports — 40% of which is said to come from Russia — through a deal with Algeria.

During his interview with Il Corriere, he also called on Europe to find alternative sources of gas and oil so it could limit the asking price of Russia’s energy commodities.

“Europe continues to finance Russia by purchasing oil and gas, among other things, at a price that has no relation to historical values and production costs,” Draghi told the outlet. “Imposing a ceiling on the price of Russian gas, as proposed by Italy, is a way to strengthen sanctions and at the same time minimize the costs for us imposing them.”