President Zelensky refuses to 'cease land in exchange for peace'
Despite admitting that the Ukrainian military is currently not strong enough to take back some Russian-controlled territories, President Zelensky refused to give up territory in exchange for peace.
According to RIA Novosti on March 3, after a summit of European leaders in London (UK) to discuss a solution to the Ukraine conflict, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine will not accept territorial concessions to reach a peace agreement.
“President Zelensky added that Ukraine will never recognize Russia's annexation of new territories, even if this is an attempt to sign a peace agreement,” The Guardian (UK) quoted President Zelensky.
On March 2, a summit of European leaders took place in London, where the situation in Ukraine and the possibility of strengthening European defense capabilities were discussed. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that London was ready to deploy armed forces in Ukraine and use aviation to resolve the conflict.
The London summit comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump clashed at the White House on February 28. The row has left US-Ukraine relations on the brink of collapse, casting doubt on Washington's future support for Kiev.
Even in response to the call for resignation from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham – one of Kiev’s strongest supporters, President Zelensky reacted sharply: “Mr. Graham is a very decent person, and in order for him to decide who should be the president of Ukraine and who should resign, I can grant him citizenship, then his voice will start to have weight. And I will listen to him as a citizen of Ukraine on the issue of who should be president.”
In contrast to the tense atmosphere in Washington, Mr. Zelensky was warmly welcomed in London. European allies affirmed that they would persist in supporting Ukraine while the country and the United States failed to find common ground on how to resolve the more than three-year conflict between Kiev and Moscow.
