Zelenskyy responds whether he allows the possibility of holding a referendum on the territories

The issue of territorial integrity cannot be resolved without the participation of the Ukrainian people.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in an interview with French media, published by Liberation on July 31.

Responding to questions about the possibility of conceding territories, the president noted that this would contradict the Ukrainian Constitution. According to him, "Ukraine will never give up its territories, as this would violate the Constitution."

Speaking about the potential for holding a referendum on this issue, Zelenskyy responded: "A referendum? This must be the will of the Ukrainian people. To be honest, it's not the best option, because we're dealing with Putin, and it would be a victory for him if he managed to take over part of our territories."

At the same time, the Head of State acknowledged that reclaiming territories by military means "costs Ukraine a lot of time and lives" and suggested that Ukraine might not be able to return its territories by military means alone. In his view, a diplomatic path is possible.

"This does not mean that we will immediately restore our 1991 borders, but I believe that a just peace for Ukraine lies in restoring our territorial integrity, but that does not necessarily mean doing so solely through the use of weapons," Zelenskyy said.

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