Zelenskyy: We are ready for peace, but peace for entire Ukraine
Ukraine is interested in peace all over Ukraine, but the territory of other countries does not concern it, as stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in liberated Kherson.
Source: Office of the President of Ukraine
Quote: "We are gradually making our way to all of our country's temporarily occupied territories. Of course, it is difficult; it is a long and difficult way. The best heroes of our country are in this war…
We are moving on. We are ready for peace, but peace for our entire country. This is the territory of our entire state. We respect international law and the sovereignty of every state, and now we are talking about the sovereignty of our state. That is why we are fighting against Russian aggression."
Details: Zelenskyy has pointed out that Ukraine does not believe Russia’s statements, as it is trying to mislead the world community, and will keep liberating territories occupied by the aggressor.
"We are not interested in the territory of other countries. We are only interested in liberating our country, and our land. Therefore, I do not know what will happen next, but it will happen," he said.
Zelenskyy has highlighted that Ukraine is now paying a high price for victories on the front, as the Russians do not want to voluntarily give back the captured land.
Quote: "No one gives anything away so easily. The price of this war is high. People are injured, and there are a lot of people killed. So [Russian troops - ed.] either retreated or fled; we think they fled because our army encircled them and they were in danger. There were fierce battles, and the result is that we are in Kherson Oblast today."
Background:
- On 9 November, the Russian army announced that they were leaving Kherson; on 11 November, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine began to enter the city; and on 14 November, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the liberated city. The Kremlin responded, in the spirit of annexation, that the administrative centre of Kherson Oblast is "the territory of Russia".
- Russia's leadership ostentatiously declares its readiness for peace talks with Ukraine, but in fact does not take any steps to do so.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly set out the preconditions for negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, which includes the withdrawal of Russia's army from the territory of Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected this condition and wanted Kyiv to take into account the situation on the battlefield. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry replied that the occupiers were not in a position to dictate terms.
- Mykhailo Podoliak, Advisor to the Head of the President’s Office of Ukraine, believes that Russia will get down to negotiations or withdraw its troops from Ukraine after the liberation of Donetsk or Luhansk; David Arakhamiia, Head of the Servant of the People parliamentary party, believes that an opportunity to resume negotiations with the Russian Federation may present itself in the second half of 2023.
- According to the Wall Street Journal, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan recommended that Zelenskyy's team start thinking about its realistic demands and priorities for negotiations, including a reconsideration of its stated aim for Ukraine to regain Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
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