Zelensky Reaffirms Ukraine's Territorial Integrity Amid Peace Talks

In a recent statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of maintaining Ukraine's territorial integrity amid ongoing negotiations involving U.S. officials and Russia. He articulated that any discussions concerning Ukraine's occupied territories should remain firmly aligned with the principles of Ukrainian sovereignty. During a press conference held in the coastal city of Odessa alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Zelensky asserted, “All territories belong to the unitary state of Ukraine.” He stressed that decisions regarding Ukrainian territories lie solely with the Ukrainian people. Zelensky further delineated a "red line" for Ukraine, stating, “not to recognize any temporarily occupied territories as Ukrainian, but as Russian.” This remark was made in response to ongoing diplomatic discussions, where he criticized the involvement of U.S. representatives in matters outside their scope of authority. The context of his remarks likely refers to comments made by Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy under President Donald Trump. Witkoff had recently met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and suggested that a peace agreement might include terms concerning the "so-called five territories." Since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, it has claimed additional Ukrainian territories such as Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya as part of its own, although it does not have complete control over these regions, apart from Crimea. Moscow's foreign intelligence chief, Sergei Naryshkin, has stated that Ukraine must declare these territories as abandoned. The current stance of the Ukrainian leadership has shifted from earlier discussions about military actions to recapture occupied territories to focusing on the unwillingness to legally relinquish these areas. A permanent renouncement of territory is not a subject for negotiation from Ukraine's perspective. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speak during a press conference after their meeting in Odesa. -/Ukrainian Presidency/dpa