Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a stalemate in the war with Russia “is not an option for us” as he again called for Western military support to restore his country’s territorial integrity.
“We are lower in terms of equipment and therefore we are not able to make progress,” he said. “We will suffer more losses and people are my priority.
Speaking to Financial Times editor Rula Khalaf at the FT Global Boardroom conference on Tuesday, Zelensky said pushing Russian forces back to positions taken before the February 24 invasion would be a “serious temporary victory” for Ukraine, but full sovereignty over its territory remains his end goal.
Zelensky said “victory must be achieved on the battlefield”, but also insisted he was open to peace talks with President Vladimir Putin, despite atrocities committed by Russian troops during their 100-day offensive.
He added that Western sanctions “have not really affected Russia’s position” and stressed Kyiv’s partners that they are pushing for a ceasefire in the conflict without setting conditions, namely for Moscow to end its offensive.
“Everyone behaves like a cipher. “They support Ukraine, but they are also examining what can be done to ease sanctions so that businesses do not suffer,” Zelensky said.
“How can we achieve a ceasefire on the territory of Ukraine without listening to the position of this country?” That’s very surprising. “
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