Zelenskyy: «Ukraine does not recognise the Ukrainian territories legally occupied by Russia. Our East, our Crimea»
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- Anna Hakman
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18:47, 18 February, 2025
Volodymyr Zelenskyy with Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Photo: Office of the President of UkrainePresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine does not recognise the territories legally occupied by Russia.
He made the announcement during a joint press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to NikVesti.
«The dynamics of this war have accelerated dramatically. And diplomacy has accelerated. Whether we like it or not, this is a fact. And that is why we need to understand security guarantees. No matter how difficult it is for us, or whether someone likes it or not, Ukraine does not recognise the Ukrainian territories legally occupied by Russia. Our East, our Crimea and other important cities and villages are», Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
As a reminder, on Tuesday, 18 February, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is on a visit to Turkey. He has already visited the Ukrainian Embassy and met with the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar communities.
Peace talks
Earlier, Donald Trump stated that the United States is engaged in constructive negotiations on a full-scale war with Ukraine and the Russian Federation. In particular, he expressed hope that agreements would be reached as soon as possible.
He also claimed that Washington had already made some progress in negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In addition, Donald Trump indicated that his administration had already held discussions with Moscow, but did not specify who participated in such a dialogue. Also, during his phone conversation with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump never said that Europe needs a seat at the table in negotiations on Ukraine.
Earlier, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that negotiations between the United States and Russia to end the war without Kyiv's participation pose a threat to everyone.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also noted that he was ready to sit down with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for the sake of peace, despite his hostile attitude. He also added that he did not see a ready-made peace plan from Trump, but conveyed his readiness to negotiate.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to «allocate people» to negotiate with Ukraine to end the war. At the same time, he called any such talks «illegitimate».