We do not recognize occupied territories as part of Russian Federation - Zelenskyy
Ukraine will never legally recognize the occupied territories of our country as part of the Russian Federation.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this during a meeting with representatives of the International Media Council, Censor.NET reports with reference to UP.
Zelenskyy stressed that for Ukraine, the occupied territories will always remain Ukrainian until they return under state control.
"No matter what anyone wants. Even if all the world's allies unite, we will still not recognize the occupied territories. It is impossible. We do not legally recognize them. For us, they will always remain occupied territories until we return there," the head of state said.
The President also emphasized that dialogue with Russia should take place only from a position of strength, as any attempt to treat the aggressor as an equal is a defeat for Ukraine.
"Putin cannot be subjectified in this story. He has violated everything. He is guilty and must realize it. But he cannot be stopped if we talk to him on an equal footing, which is a loss for Ukraine," he added.
Zelenskyy separately noted that ending the active phase of the war is a top priority for the country:
"We must find every opportunity to end the hot phase of the war. This is the number one issue. There can be many negotiations, but the main thing is to stop the active phase. This is the number one guarantee of security," the Ukrainian president summarizes.
To recap, the day before, Zelenskyy said he wanted to end the war this year, but not just quickly, but fairly.
