We are ready for compromises, but not those that lead to violation of territorial integrity, - Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that no compromise has been reached on Donbas yet.
He made this statement during a conversation with journalists, according to Censor.NET with a link to Ukrinform.
Details
"So far, we have been unable to find a compromise on the territorial issue, namely regarding part of eastern Ukraine. We are talking about the Donetsk region of Ukraine. We believe that imposing harsh demands on Ukraine is definitely not a compromise. It is a change in Ukraine's territorial integrity.
And this is precisely the format that the Russian side has publicly signaled. We have said many times that we are ready for compromises that will lead to a real end to the war, but which are definitely not related to changing the territorial integrity of Ukraine," the head of state emphasized.
According to Zelenskyy, the US understands this position and is offering a compromise solution regarding the free economic zone.
"The issue of control over a particular territory, even a free economic zone, must also be fair. Namely, Ukraine's control over the territories that we control. This is roughly our vision, which was first highlighted in Abu Dhabi in a trilateral format. I mean, for the first time in this format, it was openly discussed between the parties," the president explained.
Negotiations in the UAE
Zelenskyy added that during the negotiations in the UAE, it was agreed that the parties would return to these issues at the next meeting, when the Russians would have a response from their leadership to the initiatives announced. According to him, during the negotiations, the Ukrainian side had the opportunity to communicate promptly with the President, while the Russian side did not.
"I have repeatedly said that such complex issues will be resolved at the leadership level, and this is understandable, because it is the leaders who have the appropriate mandate," he concluded.
What preceded it?
- According to media reports, security guarantees from the US will depend on Ukraine's agreement to withdraw its troops from the unoccupied territories of Donbas.
