Zelensky: We are not ready for compromises that lead to violation of territorial integrity

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a conversation with journalists, according to a Ukrinform correspondent.

"So far, we have been unable to find a compromise on the territorial issue, namely regarding part of eastern Ukraine. We are talking about the Donetsk region of Ukraine. We believe that tough demands on Ukraine are definitely not a compromise. This is a change in the territorial integrity of Ukraine. And this is precisely the format that the Russian side has publicly signaled. We have said many times that we are ready for compromises that lead to a real end to the war, but which are definitely not related to changing the territorial integrity of Ukraine," Zelensky said.

He noted that the American side understands this position and is proposing a compromise solution regarding a free economic zone.

“The issue of control over a particular territory, even a free economic zone, must also be fair. Namely, Ukraine's control over the territories that we control. This is roughly our vision, which was first emphasized in Abu Dhabi in a trilateral format. I mean, for the first time in this format, openly between the parties,” the President emphasized.

According to him, following the negotiations in the UAE, it was agreed that the parties would return to these issues at the next meeting, when the Russians would have a response from their leadership to the initiatives announced, because during the negotiations, according to Zelensky, the Ukrainian side had the opportunity to communicate promptly with the president, while the Russian side did not.

At the same time, the president stressed that the territorial issues can only be resolved at the leadership level. “I have repeatedly said that such complex issues will be resolved at the leadership level, and this is understandable, because it is the leaders who have the appropriate mandate,” Zelensky emphasized.

The least problematic solution to this issue, according to the president, would be the formula “we stand where we stand.”

He also added that the issue of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is included in the list of territorial issues. “Therefore, when we talk about the ZNPP and the east of our country, our other regions, from where there were signals that the Russians are ready to leave, etc., these are all territorial issues. That is why it sounds like the territorial issue is the key issue that still needs to be resolved,” the President concluded.

As reported earlier, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that although agreement had been reached on most of the 20 points of the peace plan, the issue of the Donetsk region remained unresolved.

According to him, to resolve the territorial issue, Ukraine proposes to stop at the line of contact, while the Americans propose to create a free economic zone, in particular in the Donetsk region.

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