Yesterday at 22:17
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not agree to either legal or “de facto” recognition of the occupied eastern part of Ukraine as belonging to Russia, UATV English reports.
He said this while speaking to the media after negotiations in Berlin on December 15.
Asked about the future of Donetsk region, Zelenskyy noted that Russia wants to seize the region, Ukraine does not want to give it up, and the United States is trying to propose a compromise.
“They are proposing a ‘free economic zone.’ And I want to emphasize once again: a ‘free economic zone’ does not mean one under the control of the Russian Federation. These are essential features for me in any format concerning Donbas. Neither de jure nor de facto will we recognize Donbas as Russian — the part that is temporarily occupied. Absolutely,” the president stressed.
“At this point, we do not yet have consensus on this issue. But on other issues, there is progress,” Zelenskyy added.
Zelenskyy on the peace plan: we are expecting five documents
Other statements by the President of Ukraine:
- The Americans want a quick end to the war. For us, quality matters. If speed and quality coincide, we support both wholeheartedly.
- We are not talking about a referendum at this stage. For now, we are trying to do everything possible not to further complicate the already difficult lives of Ukrainians because of the war.
- Ukraine supports the idea of a Christmas ceasefire as a format for ending hostilities. The Ukrainian leader noted that the United States also supports this initiative.
“Much depends on Russia’s political will, but much also depends on our work on the documents,” Zelenskyy added.
A reparations-style loan or any format for using frozen Russian assets is a financial security guarantee for Ukraine, — Zelenskyy.
The president said the amount in question is between $150–200 billion, and $210 billion in total. There are currently two possible scenarios:
Plan A — an end to the war. In this case, the funds received and subsequent tranches would be directed toward Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.
Plan B — continued Russian aggression. In this case, Ukraine is counting on €40–45 billion in financial assistance annually, which could be used to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the defense sector, and the country’s security.
If Putin rejects the developments on the peace plan, there will be turbulence, — Zelenskyy.
The President of Ukraine expressed the view that Putin is most likely unwilling to accept the proposed changes to Trump’s peace plan.
Zelenskyy said that in this case, the United States would increase pressure on Russia through sanctions and provide Ukraine with more weapons.
After a previous round of talks last week, Zelenskyy described what the U.S. “compromise vision” regarding Donbas looks like.
According to media reports, during the Berlin negotiations U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner pressured the Ukrainian side to give up the part of Donbas under its control. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry later warned against trusting information from anonymous sources.
According to sources in U.S. media, Washington believes that “90% of the disagreements” between Ukraine and Russia have been resolved.
Read also: European leaders issue joint statement on peace negotiations regarding Ukraine
