Zelenskyy answers whether he is ready to give up Donbas in exchange for peace
Zelenskyy says his position on a possible withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas and on the so-called «territory swap» has not changed.
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Zelenskyy during his visit to Germany / © Office of the President of Ukraine / © Офіс президента України
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assures that his stance on the so-called «territory swap» remains the same — he continues to insist that Ukraine’s territory is unchanged.
He said this at a joint press briefing with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Zelensky stated that his position — that Ukraine will not give Donbas to Russia — has not changed.
«As for my position — it has not changed. Because it is based on the Constitution of Ukraine. As long as the Constitution of the state remains unchanged, the position of the guarantor of this Constitution cannot change. We discussed these issues today. Of course, these are very difficult issues, ” he said.
Zelenskyy stressed that any matters concerning the territorial integrity of our state cannot be discussed without Ukrainians and in violation of the Constitution of Ukraine.
For his part, Merz said that Ukraine is ready to discuss issues related to territories. At the same time, legal recognition of territories occupied by Russia is not considered as part of the negotiations.
«Ukraine is ready for negotiations, including to discuss territorial issues, but we proceed from the contact line. It is the starting point, and legal recognition of the occupied territories is not up for discussion, ” the German chancellor said.