Zelenskyy says Ukraine won’t give up territory

International

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Davos (Switzerland), May 25: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said his country will not give up its land to end Russia’s war.

Speaking by video link at a “Ukrainian breakfast” during the World Economic Forum’s gathering in Davos, Zelenskyy said he didn’t believe Russian president Vladimir Putin fully understood what was going on in Ukraine.

Responding to a question from CNN’s Fareed Zakaria about whether it was possible to negotiate an end to the conflict, Zelenskyy said through a translator that “Ukraine is not going to concede our territory. We are fighting in our country, on our land.”

He added that it’s a war not against anybody but “for our land, for our freedom, for our independence, and for our future.”

As a first step to diplomatic negotiations, Zelenskyy says Russia would need to demonstrate its desire to engage in talks and “should demonstrate at least something like steps withdrawing their troops and equipment to the position before the 24th of February,” when the invasion began.