President Zelensky says territorial negotiations are his job

According to TASS, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Ukrainian delegation in negotiations with Russia is not allowed to discuss territorial issues. Because, according to him, discussing this topic is "his job".

"Our delegation has a mandate to discuss humanitarian issues - prisoners of war or a ceasefire. However, it is not their mandate to discuss the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview with Hungary's Valasz Online.

“My job is to negotiate territories,” Zelensky added, declaring that he was ready to discuss this topic only with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Mr. Zelensky also noted that Ukraine does not recognize the lost territories as belonging to Russia.

The second round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine was held in Istanbul on June 2. The sides exchanged documents with their visions of the aspects of resolving the conflict. The Ukrainian side’s memorandum sets out Kiev’s idea for a possible meeting of the leaders. Ukraine believes that President Putin and President Zelensky should agree on six issues, including the territory and a complete cessation of hostilities.

Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, commenting to journalists on the possibility of holding a summit with the participation of the United States, noted that President Putin has repeatedly spoken about his readiness for contacts at the highest level, stressing that these contacts should be the result of agreements that have been developed at the technical and expert level.