Zelenskyy: Ukraine will not make territorial concessions for the sake of truce, as Putin does not plan to end the war
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine will not agree to territorial concessions in exchange for a ceasefire, because Vladimir Putin has no intention of ending the war.
"I do not look at it simply as land. I see it as a surrender, a weakening of our positions, and the abandonment of hundreds of thousands of our people who live there. That is exactly how I see it. And I am certain that such a retreat would divide our society. He (Putin – IF-U) wants to continue (the war – IF-U)," Zelenskyy said in an interview with the BBC.
Responding to a journalist’s question regarding reports that the United States and Russia are proposing that Ukraine relinquish 20% of the Donetsk region in exchange for a ceasefire, Zelenskyy categorically rejected such a scenario.
According to him, the Russian side will lie in any case, as the Kremlin cares only about its own interests.
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine has not abandoned the goal of returning to its 1991 borders; however, he acknowledged that the army currently lacks the weapons and personnel for the immediate liberation of all territories by military means.
"To do that today would mean losing a huge number of people—millions of people—because the Russia army is large, and we understand the cost of such steps," Zelenskyy said.
