The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky ruled out the possibility to give up any part of his country’s territory in the framework of a possible peace agreement with Russia.
In an interview with the BBC to mark one year since Russia’s full-scale invasion, he warned that ceding ground would mean Russia could “keep coming back” while Western weapons would bring peace closer.
Zelensky also stated that the planned spring offensive has already begun.
“Russian attacks are already happening from several directions,” he said.
However, he believes Ukrainian forces can continue to resist Russia’s advance until they can launch a counter-offensive – although he reiterated his calls for more military aid from the West.
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“Of course, modern weapons accelerate peace. Guns are the only language Russia understandsZelensky told the BBC.
Last week he met UK and EU leaders in a bid to boost international support and demand advanced weapons to defend his country. When Ukraine’s president asked for modern fighter jets, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said “nothing is off the table”.
But Kiev is increasingly frustrated by the speed with which Western weapons are arriving. Deliveries of battle tanks promised last month by a number of Western nations, including Germany, the US and the UK, are believed to be still weeks away their arrival on the battlefield.
President Zelensky also addressed the threat of the leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to wage war together with Russian troops from his territory if only one Ukrainian soldier crossed the border.
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“I hope that [Беларус] will not join the war,” he said. “If it does, we will fight and survive.” Allowing Russia to again use Belarus as a springboard for an attack would be a “huge mistake,” he added.
Twelve months ago, Russian forces began part of their full-scale invasion from Belarus. They headed south towards the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, but were repulsed and forced to retreat within weeks after suffering heavy losses.
When asked if he was surprised by Russia’s tactics in the war, Zelensky described it as “useless”.
“The way they destroyed everything. If their soldiers got [и изпълнили] these commandments, it means they share the same values.”
Ukrainian figures released this week show that Russian troops in Ukraine have died this month in higher numbers than at any time since the first week of their invasion. The data could not be verified, but the UK Ministry of Defense said the trends were “probably accurate”.
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“Today, our survival is our unity,” Zelensky said of how he believed the war would end. “I believe that Ukraine is fighting for its survival.” His country is moving towards Europe both economically and through its values, he said.
“We chose this path. We want security guarantees. Any territorial compromises would make us weaker as a country,” Zelensky summarized.
“It’s not about the compromise itself,” he said. “Why should we be afraid of this? Every day in our lives we have millions of compromises,” Zelensky recalled.
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To thunderous applause, the Ukrainian leader thanked the EU for its support
“The question is with whom? With Putin? No. because there is no trust. Dialogue with him? No. Because there is no trust,” the Ukrainian president pointed out firmly.
