Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine will never recognize the occupied Ukrainian territories as part of Russia even if allies pressure to do so, dampening hopes that Donald Trump will be able to broker a peace deal.
“No matter what anyone wants, even if all the allies in the world unite, we will never recognize the occupied territories [as part of Russia]. This is impossible,” the Ukrainian president emphasized.
'We will not legally recognize them. For us, they will always remain occupied territories until we liberate them.'
Trump, who took office for a second term on Monday and was last in power before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has repeatedly said he could end the war quickly, without indicating how.
His newly appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that ending the war was a priority for the president but would only be possible if both sides made significant concessions.
“Any time you end a conflict between two sides, neither of which can achieve their maximum goals, each side will have to give something up,” he told CNN, adding that the decision would ultimately rest with the Ukrainians. Russians.
It comes after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said today that Moscow sees a slim chance of reaching deals with the new US administration.
“We cannot say anything today about the extent of the new administration's negotiating ability, but still, compared to the hopelessness in every aspect of the previous White House chief (Joe Biden), there is an opportunity today, albeit a small one. ', Ryabkov said, according to Interfax.
Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that Ukraine will never recognize the occupied Ukrainian territories as part of Russia
Donald Trump, who took office for a second term on Monday, has said he can end the war quickly, without specifying how
A Russian soldier fires a self-propelled gun “Malka” towards Ukrainian positions at a secret location in Ukraine
“It is therefore important to understand what and who we will be dealing with, how best to build relations with Washington, how best to maximize opportunities and minimize risks,” he said, speaking at the Institute for US and Canadian Studies, a think tank in Moscow.
Trump warned on Tuesday that he would likely impose more sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin refused to negotiate an end to the nearly three-year-old conflict.
He did not provide details on possible additional sanctions against Russia, which is already under significant Western sanctions because of the war.
The new president also slammed the Kremlin on Tuesday, accusing Putin of “destroying Russia” with its failed war while urging him to “make a deal” to end the conflict.
'He has to make a deal. I think he's destroying Russia by not making a deal,” Trump said in a sharp warning to the dictator.
“I think Russia will be in big trouble,” he added, saying Putin “cannot be happy that he is not doing so well.”
“I mean, he works hard, but most people thought the war would be over in about a week, and now it's been three years, right?”
The Russian economy was sinking, he continued, with inflation posing a major threat.
Putin, 72, previously said he was willing to hold talks with Trump but still insisted on an outcome in Russia's favor.
'We are open to dialogue with the new US administration on the Ukrainian conflict. The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis,” the Russian ruler said. A first telephone call is expected to be made by Moscow soon.
Trump said Zelensky was ready for a deal to end the debilitating conflict, and the 78-year-old US leader said he planned to meet Putin, with whom he had a “great relationship” during his first term.
'We're going to try to do it as quickly as possible. You know, the war between Russia and Ukraine should never have started.”
Trump warned Tuesday that he would likely impose more sanctions on Russia if President Vladimir Putin refused to negotiate to end the nearly three-year-old conflict.
After months of Ukraine occupying parts of Russia's Kursk region as it seeks to improve its position in the event of talks, Zelensky stated that any dialogue can only proceed if Kiev is in a strong position.
“Putin cannot be treated as legitimate in this situation. He violated everything. He must understand his transgression,” the Ukrainian president said today, adding that if Putin “were to be approached as an equal, it would be a loss for Ukraine.”
But, he said, his government's top priority was finding a way to stop the war, which has killed at least 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers, according to figures Ukraine released in December.
“We must find all possible ways to end the hot phase of the war. This is problem number one,” Zelensky said.
'There can be many conversations, but the main goal is to stop the active phase. This is the first guarantee of safety.'
Russia has occupied Crimea since invading the area in 2014. Months later, it captured large parts of the Donbas region and launched an uprising under the guise of a separatist uprising.
Since the large-scale invasion in 2022, Russian forces have controlled large parts of southern and eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Kiev's forces have occupied about 600 square kilometers of Russian territory since a surprise attack in August.
