The President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, has ruled out any peace agreement with Russia that involves ceding part of its territory, he announced in an interview broadcast on Thursday by the British BBC.
“Any territorial compromise would make us a weaker state,” said the Ukrainian president, who declared that “weapons are the only language Russia understands.”
“Commitment by itself is not a problem. We are not afraid of it, there are millions of commitments in life. But the question is with whom. Compromises with Putin? No, because there is no trust,” Zelensky stressed.
During the interview on the occasion of the first year of the invasion of Ukraine ordered by the Kremlin, which will take place on the 24th, the president assured that Russia’s spring offensive has already begun.
“Russian attacks are already coming from various directions,” Zelensky said, expressing hope that Belarus “won’t join” the war.
“If it does, we will fight and survive,” stressed the Ukrainian leader, who warned that allowing Moscow to use Belarusian territory to prepare attacks against Ukraine would be “a huge mistake.”
Zelensky reiterated his wish that kyiv continue to move closer to Europe, both for its values and economic ties.
“That is the path we chose,” he declared, while demanding “security guarantees” and stressing that “modern weapons” are the only ones capable of “accelerating” the path to peace.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, asked European countries on Wednesday to supply Ukraine with tanks, after warning that the war is entering a decisive phase and the dispute can be resolved ” this spring and summer.
In an intervention before the European Parliament in Estasburgo, the head of European diplomacy has insisted that European military aid should not only continue but “increase”.
“I call on all European countries that have modern and efficient tanks that gather dust in their barracks to give them to Ukraine,” Borrell told MEPs.
“The war is going to be decided this spring and summer,” he warned and called for a speedy supply of weapons after regretting that Kiev’s military allies have spent “a long time” discussing the Leopard issue while the Russian Army prepared an offensive in the Donbas region.
For Borrell, the military situation on the ground is “worrying” for Ukraine, since Russia now has 360,000 soldiers on Ukrainian territory, more than in previous phases of the war.
The head of community diplomacy also indicated that he will redouble diplomatic efforts to advance a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“To win peace, first you have to win the war, and you can help Ukraine militarily and make the necessary diplomatic efforts so that peace comes as soon as possible. They are not contradictory things,” she expressed.
Borrell announced that he will ask the Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, to lead a mediation process with Russia, although, from the outset, he warned that up to now everyone who has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war “has failed”.
(With information from EFE and Europa Press)