Zelensky: We do not have the power to recapture Crimea and Donbass

According to Isna, the war in Ukraine will soon enter its third year, and with the intervention of the West and the sending of military aid to Kiev, the path to peace between Russia and Ukraine has become difficult, and there is still no prospect for negotiations between the two countries.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, in a long interview with the French newspaper “Parisin”, discussed several issues, including the plans of the US President-elect Donald Trump for the war in Ukraine.

Trump, who was able to achieve a decisive victory in the November 5 presidential election, has promised that he wants to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible; A promise that the world, including the Ukrainian authorities, is now looking forward to see how the president-elect of the United States will carry out this action, and in the meantime, some media are speculating about handing over Ukrainian territories to Russia, but apparently Ukraine is not in this regard. It will not be short and constantly raises the issue of security guarantees and membership in NATO.

The US president-elect, who recently traveled to Paris to participate in a ceremony to reopen the Notre-Dame Cathedral, held a tripartite meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and Zelensky; A meeting that, although there was no official joint statement, is still under the microscope of the media.

Trump’s plan to end the war in Ukraine

In response to the French newspaper’s question whether Trump explained during this meeting how he wants to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours, the president of Ukraine said: “Ending the war is not an easy task. Trump is eager to act quickly. I witnessed this in the meeting with Emmanuel Macron in Paris and also in a bilateral meeting in September. He will go into great detail when he can actually do it. Right now, he’s not in the White House yet and he can’t have access to all the information, but when he’s there, we can talk and consult. No matter how many presidents or prime ministers try to decree an end to war, we will not simply give up and give up our independence. “The danger is to say we will stop the war and come to an agreement with the Russians.”

Regarding Trump’s return to the White House, Volodymyr Zelensky said: “He is a new president with a different team. Therefore, changes are inevitable. It is very important for us that they benefit Ukraine and not vice versa. We currently have many surprises with a neighbor like Russia. We would like the United States to support Ukraine to become stronger. Our teams are currently working with President Trump’s teams. We will establish a relationship with the new government and this will be our priority. The United States is and remains our first donor in this war, although for Ukraine, I want to emphasize, both Europe and the United States are important. We do not put anyone above the other. America can influence Putin (President of Russia). “The European Union is our future and this is where we see ourselves.”

The issue of Ukraine’s membership in NATO and the European Union

In a part of this interview, Zelensky said about the possibility of falling short of membership in NATO and the European Union: “How can we imagine such a thing? The people of Ukraine, not just me, have chosen to be a full member of the European Union. Why is Putin interfering in our election? The era of colonialism is over. Why does the whole world allow him to attack? US, China, India, EU… I don’t get it. And leave NATO? What is offered to us in return? We are aware of the risks and challenges. Who can guarantee that Putin will not return to Ukraine? Which country will come to our aid with its planes and troops? Today we only have bilateral guarantees with our partners in terms of military and financial support, but if Putin returns with his millions of troops, will we again defend ourselves alone? “It’s not about joining NATO, it’s about ensuring our security.”

Zelensky’s direct negotiations with Putin

In response to a question about direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the President of Ukraine said: “What is important is not the person in front of you, but when you negotiate, your situation is important.” In my opinion, we are not in a weak position, but we are not in a strong position either. Are we in NATO? we don’t know Will we be part of the European Union? Yes, in the future, but when? Sitting at the table with Putin in this situation means giving the right to decide on everything. First, we need to create a model, an action plan or a peace plan, call it what you will. Then we can present it to Putin or, more broadly, to the Russians. But I insist that no leader in the world has the right to negotiate with Putin without Ukraine. “We have never delegated this authority to anyone.”

The situation of Ukrainian forces on the battlefield

Although Western media and military analysts report on the poor morale of Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield, the president of Ukraine continued to claim in this interview: “The soldiers believe in Ukraine and want victory.” This is undeniable.”

“Soldiers at the front are tired, especially where it is too late to replace them and there are missile or drone attacks every day,” Zelenskiy said to the reporters of this French newspaper. We are grateful for international partners, but often cooperation processes are slow. From the moment a country says: I offer help to the moment this support actually arrives, sometimes it takes 6 months or a year! It also happens that these weapons are either old or in poor condition. All this affects the morale of the soldiers.”

He also claimed: “If we don’t stop Putin, he will continue to destroy us.” We cannot forget everything that happened. “Other countries are encouraged to do the same with impunity.”

Current developments in Syria

Regarding whether Ukraine has helped the Syrian armed opposition, he answered: “No, we do not have any official information in this regard.” We talked about humanitarian aid. “We are ready to help the Syrian people in terms of food, grain or corn.”

Ending the war in a diplomatic way

Referring to the diplomatic method to end the war in Ukraine, the President of Ukraine said at the end of the interview with “Parisin”: “We cannot give up our lands. The Constitution of Ukraine prohibits us from doing this. Areas including Crimea are currently under the control of the Russians. We do not have the power to recover them. We can only count on diplomatic pressure from the international community to force Putin to come to the negotiating table. I wonder why the West, which supports us, takes such care of Putin? Why were we not widely armed from the beginning of the war? My words may sound brazen, but I have the impression that everyone is afraid of Putin. “We need a strong America and Europe to put pressure on Putin and stop this war.”

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