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Any peace deal with Russia will depend on the withdrawal of Russian forces to their positions before the Russian occupation, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking to an institute in London, Zelensky said this would be the minimum his country could accept, the BBC reports.
He said he was the leader of “Ukraine, not a mini-Ukraine”. But he did not mention Crimea, a region that was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Russia is currently fighting for full control of the city of Mariupol.
There are still Ukrainian forces along with some civilians at the large Azovstal steel plant in the southeastern city, which has been subjected to a furious Russian attack.
The eventual takeover of Mariupol would be Russia’s biggest achievement in the two months of the war and would give Russian President Vladimir Putin something to celebrate on May 9, which is “Victory Day” in Russia – the day when the country marks the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II.
However, speaking from Kiev to the Chatham House Institute in London, Ukrainian President Zelensky said that it is not discussed that Russia retains the territory it has occupied since it began its occupation of Ukraine.
“To stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, the first step should be to restore the situation from February 23,” he said in response to a question from the BBC, referring to the day before the start of the war.
“I was elected by the people of Ukraine as president of Ukraine, not as president of a mini-Ukraine. “This is a very important point,” he added.
The reference to the situation on February 23 suggests that Ukraine may not insist on the recapture of Crimea before making peace with Russia.
The peninsula was annexed by Russia eight years ago.
Zelensky called for the resumption of diplomatic dialogue between Russia and Ukraine: “Despite the fact that they destroyed all our bridges, I think not all bridges have been destroyed, figuratively,” he said.
Russia, for its part, has described the process as “stagnant.”
As the conflict continues, thousands of children in Ukraine are in urgent need of psychological support, given the traumatic experiences of the war, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said.
The reference to the situation on February 23 suggests that Ukraine may not insist on the recapture of Crimea before making peace with Russia.
The peninsula was annexed by Russia eight years ago.
Zelensky called for the resumption of diplomatic dialogue between Russia and Ukraine: “Despite the fact that they destroyed all our bridges, I think not all bridges have been destroyed, figuratively,” he said.
Russia, for its part, has described the process as “stagnant.”
As the conflict continues, thousands of children in Ukraine are in urgent need of psychological support, given the traumatic experiences of the war, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said.
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