Ukrainian president backs diplomatic solution to conflict with Russia

KIEV, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he supports a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Russia, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

"There is a diplomatic path. There is a military one," Zelensky told a press conference in Kiev, adding he wants to stop the conflict and put an end to it.

At the same time, he stressed that Kiev would withdraw from peace negotiations with Moscow if Russian forces kill Ukrainians trapped in Mariupol or hold pseudo-referendums in the areas they captured in Ukraine.