Zelensky says ready to hold talks with Putin

When asked on the Ukraina television channel if Zelensky is ready for talks with Putin, he said: "Yes."

"But we will never sacrifice territories and people. The integrity of Ukraine should be constant," he said.

When asked how much time he needs to resolve the issue of war and peace in Donbas, Zelensky said that this process could not be long.

"For the first stage – it's a ceasefire in the east - we cannot afford a long process at all. We understand that every day means every single life, every human destiny. We cannot warm up, like in sports. We have to come and fulfill our task," Zelensky said.

He also expressed confidence that Ukraine should pay pensions to the population of the occupied territories.

"We have to reach every Ukrainian living in the occupied territories - not only to promise them something but to restore relations. [...] We should start paying pensions to people who live there [in the occupied territories] and tell them that they were deceived, that we are waiting for them, that we love them, that we will win, the shooting will end soon, and they will return to Ukraine - all the occupied territories," the candidate said.

op