Ukraine does not recognize any occupied territory as Russian, including those seized since 2014, and is not ready to give up Crimea in a peace deal. He emphasized that Crimea can be returned diplomatically, without significant human losses. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Fox News, UNN reports.
When asked by a journalist whether Zelenskyy agreed that under any ceasefire or peace agreement, part of Ukrainian territory could remain in Russian hands, he replied: "We cannot legally recognize any occupied territory of Ukraine as Russian. We are talking about those territories... that were occupied by Putin before the full-scale invasion, since 2014. Legally, we do not recognize it, we do not accept it.
The journalist also asked a question about Crimea, which read as follows: "Vladimir Putin has made it very clear that Crimea will never return to Ukrainian hands. Are you ready to give up Crimea for a peace agreement that will end this war and stop the bloodshed in Europe?"
To which Zelensky responded: "I have already said that we are ready to return Crimea through diplomatic means," Zelensky said. "We cannot spend tens of thousands of our people dying for the sake of returning Crimea... We understand that Crimea can be returned."
Recall
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to panic reports of some special danger and noted that this only helps Russia.