Zelenskyy: the day the Russians withdraw to the borders as of February 24 will be a day of victory for Ukraine

OLENA ROSHCHINA — TUESDAY, 5 APRIL 2022, 14:11

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that if Ukraine can defend the territories which Kyiv controlled until February 24, that will be a victory, and it will be a great victory to guarantee Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Ukrainian media

Quote: "First of all - not to lose our sovereignty (this will be a victory in the war - ed.). Second - I really want us not to lose hundreds of thousands of people. Third: there can be no talk about us giving anyone else the chance to call Crimea theirs. This is Ukrainian territory only. There may be a question of postponing this issue, the solution may be this kind of compromise… And Donbas is Ukraine.

We are not talking simply about the territories that they (Russians - ed.) are now temporarily occupying. We are not even discussing the status of any of those territories that were completely under our control before February 24. Although we have heard these ultimatums from the very beginning.

Therefore, the war for Donbas will be another "Stalingrad." It can be or will be, it will be for that.

The fact that Russia has recognized ORDLO (the temporarily uncontrolled territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions - ed.) as something - I believe that we must find a way out of this situation. It is very important for us to preserve the status of these territories as Ukrainian. This is one of the fundamental things, but this will be the most difficult story (...).

The withdrawal of the Russians to the borders as they stood on February 23 will be Ukraine's victory in today's war. I think so… Where we are, who we are, what kind of country we are, what we have lost, what we can lose and what we have saved… Our victory is to repel the full-scale war that began on February 24, I think. "

Details: 

Zelenskyy said that the war for the occupied Donbas could now cost Ukraine 40-50 thousand or even hundreds of thousands of the most experienced people, and then the invaders could return to Ukraine not even in a few years, but next month.

"But if we get them back and push back [the boundaries of our state -ed.] to the point I mentioned and get at least an idea of what we will be talking about in the future in relation to the temporarily occupied territories - I believe it will be a victory," he said.

At the same time, Zelenskyy said that Russia is now trying to seize even more Ukrainian territories.

"They haven’t occupied this part - they are trying to occupy Donbas and the south of Ukraine: the corridor to the Crimea, and Kherson region, and the Zaporizhzhia region. And if they succeed, they will fight for Donbas, and Mariupol for them is the medal they want to hang on their chests, "he said.

Zelenskyy also responded to criticism that Russia would use a 15-year pause in resolving the Crimea issue, to bring even more Russians to the peninsula who will be against Ukraine.

"10-15 years is a format of proposals from Ukraine, and I think there’s a the same percentage chance - about 10-15% - that Russia will agree with it. Because it is an agreement of the parties that within 10 years the parties should solve the issue of Crimea through diplomacy. It cannot be solved now, but at least at some time in the future…

Today, if such terms are agreed with respect to Crimea, I believe this will be a victory for Ukraine. Because it is difficult to resolve all disputes or to end the war with Russia in one package, and also unlikely we can do it all at the same time…

This is not a compromise, this is a position that invites debate. Our main position, of course, is "leave our territory". But as of today, this is not a bad position. Positions are subject to change. "

Details: Zelenskyy pointed out that it is difficult to negotiate under missile attacks, and that the situation with Crimea and Donbas is different, that "Donbas is the most difficult one."

He also admitted that this way of returning control to Crimea may be not considered good then.