Zelensky insists on sovereignty amid force limitations in Donbas
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, admitted that the Ukrainian army does not have sufficient forces to reclaim the territories of Donbas and Crimea, currently occupied by Russia. However, he emphasizes that giving up these territories to the Kremlin is not an option. "The Constitution forbids us from doing so," he stated in an interview with "Le Parisien."
Zelensky acknowledged that Ukraine cannot cede Donbas and Crimea to Russia, even though the army currently lacks the strength to retake these areas. "The Constitution of Ukraine forbids us from doing so. De facto, these territories are currently controlled by the Russians. We do not have the forces to reclaim them. We can only rely on diplomatic pressure from the international community to force Putin into negotiations," Zelensky said in an interview with the French newspaper "Le Parisien."
When asked if he is ready to start a peace dialogue with Putin, Zelensky replied that it does not matter who is sitting opposite; "what matters is the state you are in." "I do not think we are in a weak position, but we are not in a strong one either. Will we be in NATO? We do not know. Will we be part of the European Union? Yes, in the future, but when?" added the Ukrainian president.
According to him, starting negotiations with Putin under the current conditions means "giving him the right to decide everything in our part of the world." Therefore, Zelensky called for the development of an "action plan or peace plan" that could be presented to Putin "or, in a broader sense, to the Russians."
There can be no negotiations without Ukraine
Zelensky emphasized that "no world leader can negotiate with Putin without Ukraine's participation." We have not delegated this mandate to anyone. We are the victims, he stressed. He also mentioned the elected U.S. President Donald Trump, who has expressed a desire to quickly end the war. However, as Zelensky noted, Trump is not yet in the White House and does not have access to complete information about the conflict to draw conclusions. The Ukrainian president also considered it dangerous to "freeze" military actions to start negotiations with Russia.
Zelensky expressed hope that with Trump's coming to power, the U.S. will continue to support Ukraine and increase military aid. "The United States has been and remains our leading donor in this war. At the same time, I want to emphasize that both Europe and the United States are important for Ukraine. We do not place anyone above the others," summarized the Ukrainian president.
