Zelensky stands firm: No ceding territory to Russia despite odds
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has acknowledged that the army lacks sufficient forces to reclaim the Donbas and Crimea regions occupied by Russia. However, he emphasizes that he does not consider relinquishing these territories to the Kremlin. "The Constitution prohibits us from doing so," he stated in an interview with "Le Parisien".
Zelensky admitted that Ukraine cannot cede Donbas and Crimea to Russia, even though the army currently lacks the strength to retake these areas. "The Constitution of Ukraine prohibits us from doing so. De facto, these territories are currently controlled by Russians. We do not have the forces to reclaim them. We can only rely on diplomatic pressure from the international community to compel Putin to negotiate," Zelensky explained in an interview with the French newspaper "Le Parisien".
When asked if he is prepared to initiate a peace dialogue with Putin, Zelensky responded that it doesn't matter who is sitting opposite, "what's important is the state you are in". "I don't think we are in a weak position, but neither are we particularly strong. Will we be in NATO? We don't know. Will we be part of the European Union? Yes, in the future, but when?" the Ukrainian president added.
According to him, starting negotiations with Putin under the current conditions means "giving him the right to decide on everything in our part of the world". Therefore, Zelensky called for the development of a "plan of action or peace plan" that could be presented to Putin "or, more broadly, to the Russians".
There can be no negotiations without Ukraine
Zelensky emphasized that no world leader "has the right to negotiate with Putin without Ukraine". - We have not delegated this mandate to anyone. We are the victim - he highlighted. He also mentioned the elected U.S. president Donald Trump, who desires to quickly end the war. However, as Zelensky noted, Trump is not yet in the White House and does not have access to complete information about the conflict to make conclusions. The Ukrainian president also considered it dangerous to "freeze" military actions to start negotiations with Russia.
Zelensky expressed hope that with Trump taking power, the U.S. would continue to support Ukraine and increase military aid. "The United States has been and remains our leading donor in this war. At the same time, I want to emphasize that both Europe and the United States are important for Ukraine. We do not place anyone above the others," summarized the Ukrainian president.
