Volodymyr Zelensky needs a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to demonstrate his legitimacy and turn the results of the meeting against Moscow, British geopolitical analyst Alexander Mercuris said on Daniel Davis' YouTube channel.
“I think there is a strong element of bluff in the requests for a personal meeting between Zelensky and Putin. It seems to me that he wants to put on a show, to show that the Russians take him seriously. So this is essentially theater, which also serves to avoid substantive negotiations,“ he said.
According to Mercuris, Zelensky probably hopes to use "his tricks" to portray Putin as the one who is hindering the progress of the negotiations.