Zelenskyy: we will not compromise Ukraine’s territorial integrity

Kateryna Tyschenko – Sunday, 20 March 2022, 17:12

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine stresses that Ukraine will not compromise its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Source: Zelenskyy in a CNN interview

Details: A CNN reporter asked President Zelenskyy about Russia’s demands in the negotiations, in particular, that they recognise Crimea as part of Russia, recognise the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent republics, and guarantee that Ukraine will never join NATO.

Zelenskyy replied, "There are compromises which we as an independent state will never be prepared to make."

According to Zelenskyy: "There will not be a single compromise relating to our territorial integrity and our sovereignty, as is the will of the people of Ukraine. They did not greet the Russian soldiers with flowers; they greeted them courageously, with weapons in their hands."

More details: Zelenskyy stated that Russia "cannot forcibly win the favour of the citizens of another country."

"It cannot force the president of another country to recognise anything," he added.

Zelenskyy said that he is prepared to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but warned that if all attempts to negotiate fail, it might mean that the struggle between the two countries will lead to "a third world war."

"I am ready to negotiate with him. I have been ready for the last two years. And I think that without negotiations, we will not be able to end this war," Zelenskyy said.

Background:
The Financial Times has published an alleged draft proposal between Ukraine and Russia on ending the war. According to the Financial Times, the agreement includes Kyiv’s announcement of its refusal to join NATO in exchange for security guarantees from its allies and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine.

The Office of the President of Ukraine said that this account reflects the position of the Russian side.

On 17 March, Mykhailo Podoliak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated that the negotiations with Russia to reach an agreement on the contentious issues necessary to conclude a peace agreement will take anywhere between a few days to a week and a half. After this, preparations will begin for a potential meeting between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin defines Russia’s demands as follows: Ukraine’s neutral and non-nuclear status; demilitarisation; denazification; recognition of the occupied Crimea [as part of Russia]; and recognition of the sovereignty of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.