Zelensky says Ukraine ‘lacks the strength’ to retake Crimea and Donbas
Ukraine’s military cannot independently retake Crimea and Donbas, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien, published on Tuesday.
When asked if he would consider giving up these regions, even temporarily, Zelensky firmly stated that Ukraine cannot legally surrender its territory:
“We cannot give up our territories. Ukraine’s Constitution forbids it. De facto, these territories are currently under Russian control. We lack the strength to reclaim them. We can only rely on diplomatic pressure from the international community to force Putin to come to the negotiating table.”
On whether he would meet face-to-face with Vladimir Putin, Zelensky remarked:
“It’s not about who sits across from you; it’s about the position you’re in when negotiating. I don’t believe we’re in a weak position, but we’re also not in a strong one. Will we join NATO? We don’t know. Will we become part of the European Union? Yes, eventually, but when?”
He warned that entering negotiations with Putin under current conditions would give the Russian leader the power to dictate terms across the region.
“First, we need to develop a model, an action plan, a peace plan — call it what you will. Then, we can present it to Putin or, more broadly, to the Russian people,” Zelensky explained.
He also underscored that no world leader “has the right to negotiate with Putin without Ukraine.” “We have not delegated this mandate to anyone. We are the victims,” Zelensky said.