Zelenskyy: Ukraine ready for diplomacy, but we must not give away our land
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is ready for diplomacy with Russia to end the war, but not on terms that involve giving Russia Ukrainian land.
Source: Zelenskyy at a press conference on Wednesday 22 October during his visit to Sweden, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine is ready for a ceasefire and diplomatic steps to end the war.
"But not on the condition that we have to leave some positions, giving the aggressor our land, our territories. This is not about kilometres, it is about homes, our people, history. This is our territorial integrity," he said.
Zelenskyy added that he had discussed this with US President Donald Trump.
But Ukraine does not see Russia's readiness for diplomacy, the Ukrainian president said.
"All the diplomatic efforts it demonstrates through calls or messages are intended to delay strong decisions by America and Europe, such as the imposition of sanctions," Zelenskyy said.
He emphasised that when Russia is ready for diplomacy, "we will see it".
Background:
- Western news agencies have reported unofficially that after a conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the Russian side handed the US an informal document repeating its previous maximalist demands for ending the war against Ukraine.
- Russia's rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine has cast doubt on the planned Budapest meeting between Trump and Putin.
- An unnamed White House official told reporters that the US no longer sees the need for a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which had been planned as part of preparations for the leader-level summit.
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