Ukraine will never recognize the occupied territories as Russian, but is ready to return them sometime in the future, through diplomatic means, not by force of arms. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in an interview with Axios, as reported by UNN.
Details
Zelenskyy commented on whether he would agree to any territorial concessions in order to conclude a deal that would end the war.
"We will never recognize these territories that are temporarily occupied by the Russians. We cannot do that. So, if you look at the situation today, will there be a ceasefire tomorrow? Everyone agrees that we do not have the strength to return these territories. So we are ready to talk about it. We are ready to return them sometime in the future, through diplomatic means, not by force of arms."
The President believes that this is a good compromise for everyone.
Addition
Last year, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine cannot legally recognize the occupied territories as Russian. But diplomatically, it is necessary to achieve its goals - a stable, secure and faster peace for Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump stated recently that with the support of the European Union, Ukraine can win the war and also regain all conquered territories.
As writes CNN, instead of demands to agree to the loss of occupied territories, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now being called upon to undertake an even more difficult task - the return of lands that Ukraine failed to liberate during the 2023 counteroffensive.