Ukraine will never legally recognize the occupied territories as Russian, even if all its allies advocate for this.
This statement was made by President Vladimir Zelensky during a meeting with representatives of the International Media Council, responding to a question about whether an agreement allowing the Russian Federation to retain control over the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine would be acceptable to Kyiv.
According to him, the government has no right to abandon the lands for which Ukrainians have died; the focus now should be on ending the active phase of the war. The president believes that as long as Kremlin leader Putin does not understand how to exit this war, the U.S. and Europe should apply pressure on him. He also advises against starting negotiations with Putin based on what he wants and what he offers:
"Putin cannot be subjectivized in this story. He has violated everything; he is to blame. He must understand that he has violated, made mistakes, and so on. But you can't just stop him like that. You need to speak from a position of strength. If you start talking to him as equals, it is a loss for Ukraine."
Trump Promises to End the War
Recall that in early December, the presidents of Ukraine, France, and newly elected U.S. leader Donald Trump met in Paris. After the meeting, he stated that Vladimir Zelensky is striving for a ceasefire and an end to the war.
The new U.S. president has repeatedly expressed his desire to discuss the cessation of war with Putin. Media reports indicated that they had a phone conversation, but there was no official confirmation of this.