Principle of "standing where we stand" is already big compromise in negotiations, - Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated his readiness to compromise in negotiations, but not to the extent that would harm Ukraine's independence and sovereignty.
According to Censor.NET, the head of state made this statement in an interview with Kyodo News.
Details
"We are ready for real compromises. But not compromises at the expense of our independence and sovereignty. We are ready to talk about compromises with the United States. But not to receive ultimatums from the Russians again and again.
They are the aggressor. Everyone has recognised this. This has not changed. Many countries that have been mediators or have tried to be mediators since the beginning of this war, especially in the Middle East and Asia, as well as other states, all recognise that Russia is the aggressor," the president said.
According to Zelenskyy, the compromise is that Ukraine is talking to the aggressor about compromises.
"We stand where we stand" is a big compromise. They have seized almost 20% of our territory. And we are ready to talk about peace now on the basis of the principle "we stand where we stand". This is a big compromise.
What is Russia offering us as a compromise? What are they ready for? They said, "We are ready not to occupy your other regions." But this is terrorism. Even these words themselves are terrorism. "I am ready not to kill you – give us everything." What does this mean? This is not a compromise. It is an ultimatum. That is why I said: "We are ready for compromises that respect Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, our army, our people and our children. But we are not ready for ultimatums," the head of state emphasised.
What preceded this?
- 17 February marked the end of the first day of trilateral talks in Geneva.
- Special Representative Witkoff announced significant progress.
- The second day of negotiations in Geneva took place on 18 February.
- NSDC Secretary Rustem Umerov and Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky held a separate meeting after the main round of trilateral talks in Geneva on 18 February.
- The White House stated that
the trilateral talks in Geneva, which took place on 17-18 February, showed "significant progress" on both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
