Zelenskyy names compromise he will never make for sake of a peace deal
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine advocates for the establishment of peace based on providing Kyiv with security guarantees. At the same time, Ukraine's territorial integrity is not up for discussion, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in Ankara, according to AA.
"As a country, we want peace, we strive for the war to end. But, of course, we want the end of this war to be based on the provision of certain security guarantees. We want these security guarantees to come from the United States, the European Union, and all of Europe, including Türkiye," he said.
At the same time, the president emphasized that Ukraine will never compromise on the country's territorial integrity.
The head of state noted that he "cannot act against the Constitution of Ukraine." "We will never, never recognize our territories temporarily occupied by Russia as part of Russia. They are part of Ukraine," the Ukrainian leader stressed.
Zelenskyy also stated that Kyiv "would prefer to regain the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia through diplomatic means." "Because we do not want to lose our people; people are our greatest treasure," the president explained.
Addressing "all mediating parties, the Russians, Americans, and Europeans," Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine "wants to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means, without bloodshed, but will never give up its territorial integrity and sovereignty."
Meeting with Erdoğan
Zelenskyy stated that these issues would be discussed during his negotiations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The head of state noted that he had previously held "result-oriented" talks with Erdoğan and recalled Ankara's mediation efforts.
Highlighting Türkiye's assistance in prisoner exchanges, Zelenskyy emphasized that the issues of "bringing Ukrainians home" and "food security" are of great importance to Ukraine.
"Thanks to Türkiye's efforts, we were able to establish a food corridor, but due to Russia's actions, its operation was disrupted, and people around the world, especially those in need, were unable to receive this food," Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader expressed gratitude to all countries contributing to food security. Noting that tons of food are being sent to African countries and Syria, Zelenskyy stressed the importance of continuing food shipments from Ukraine.
On February 18, an official meeting between US and Russian delegations is taking place in Saudi Arabia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ruled out any territorial concessions to Ukraine, outlining a tough stance ahead of negotiations with US President Donald Trump's team in Saudi Arabia.
The talks in Riyadh followed a phone conversation between President Trump and Vladimir Putin last week, during which Trump shifted key US positions on the war.
Zelenskyy has already warned that Ukraine will not recognize "any agreements about us without us."
