Zelenskyy: US and Russia have same demand for Ukraine for ending war
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the US and Russia are pressuring Kyiv to hand over Donbas to Moscow as part of a peace agreement, according to France24.
Read also: Zelenskyy assesses Geneva talks and announces a new prisoner exchange
According to the Ukrainian president, Washington and Moscow are pressuring Kyiv to hand over Donbas to Russia as part of any ceasefire agreement.
"Both the Americans and the Russians say that if you want the war to end tomorrow, get out of Donbas," Zelenskyy said.
Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
On February 17–18, the third round of trilateral talks between the delegations of Ukraine, the US, and Russia on ending the war took place in Geneva, Switzerland.
Due to disagreements over territorial issues, Ukraine and Russia have been unable to reach a peace agreement. In particular, the aggressor country wants to gain control of the entire Donetsk region, where the Russian forces’ advance is proving very difficult.
At the same time, Ukraine wants an unconditional ceasefire, with any negotiations based on the current line of contact.
It should be noted that Zelenskyy has stated that the parties to the negotiations would already have reached the final stage, but Russia is trying to drag out the talks.
The President of Ukraine also said that Kyiv is ready for real compromises, but not for compromises at the cost of the country’s independence and sovereignty. According to him, a major compromise for Ukraine is agreeing to stop the war along the front line, while he called Russia’s demands an "ultimatum."
