Zelensky: We don't want to lose opportunities for diplomatic solution to ending war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said believes that the opportunities for a diplomatic solution to ending the war cannot be lost, but Ukraine's demands must be met.

He stated this in an interview with AP, Ukrinform reports.

"We don't want to lose opportunities, if we have them, for a diplomatic solution of this matter. We should not lose them. We cannot afford to decide for millions of people who want to stop the war. Decide for them and say, 'No, we are not ready to speak with murderers'," Zelensky said.

He stressed that he understands how emotionally hard it is that no one wants to negotiate with a person or people who tortured this nation.

"But if we speak without emotions, however hard it is, we have to understand that any war should end in peace or it will end with millions of casualties. And even then, if there are millions of victims, eventually peace will come, the war will end. So from this, we have to draw conclusions: yes, we have to fight but fight for life," Zelensky said.

Zelensky said he was convinced that people will accept peace because they want this war to end.

"People want this war to be over on our terms, terms of independence. […] I am sure, there are people -- every family lost something. There are people who lost children. I am not sure that they will be satisfied with any kind of peace under any conditions at any time. Because it's a huge wound and a huge tragedy to lose your loved ones," he said.

The war Russia started against Ukraine is already in its 46th day. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying critical and civilian infrastructure, brutally torturing and killing Ukrainians.