Zelensky: Ukraine will not recognize the occupied territories as belonging to Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated that Kiev will never recognize the territories occupied by Russia. According to him, this issue remains a "main red line" for Ukraine. He said this at a briefing on March 12 after the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah.

"We will never recognize"

Zelensky stressed that the Ukrainian people have made great sacrifices to protect the country's sovereignty:

"We will never recognize any territory occupied by Russia as ours. This is a fact. Our people fought for this, our heroes sacrificed their lives. A lot of people were injured, a lot of suffering was suffered. Therefore, no one will forget this. When I say "no one will forget", I mean that this is the main red line for us," the Ukrainian leader said.

US-Ukraine talks and 30-day ceasefire

Following the talks in Saudi Arabia, the US resumed military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Kiev also agreed to a 30-day ceasefire plan proposed by Washington. During this period, the parties are expected to hold talks on a complete end to the war.

The proposal put forward in Jeddah was positively received by the world's leading countries. But now everyone is waiting for an official response from Moscow.

Kremlin in no hurry to respond on the talks

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin "needs to study the proposal in detail." Moscow stressed that it is analyzing the terms of the talks before announcing its official position.

Threat of sanctions

A US senator said that Russia should agree to a temporary ceasefire and sit down at the negotiating table. Otherwise, the United States has announced that it will impose additional sanctions against Moscow.

The Ukrainian government categorically refuses to recognize the occupied territories as part of Russia. Kiev has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the US, but Russia has not yet responded. The Kremlin says it is studying the terms of the talks, while the US says it expects a quick decision from Moscow. If Russia does not join the talks, new sanctions may be imposed. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”