Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he “just cannot see the conditions for ending the war”.
In a broadcast interview with the Financial Times, Zelensky said that while “any war must be ended at the negotiating table,” the position for “victory on the battlefield must be achieved.”
He admitted that “restoring the borders we controlled before February 24” – the date of the massive Russian invasion – could be considered a “serious temporary victory”. But he insisted it was a “war of independence.”
“Independence, in my opinion, and in the view of most of our people, is the regaining of all our territories, the restoration of all our territorial integrity and the inviolable sovereignty of Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
“We’ve already lost too many people to give up our territory just like that,” he said.
He criticized French President Emmanuel Macron particularly harshly over recent comments he made that “we are not going to humiliate Russia”.
“Some people want to be leaders. To be a leader, you don’t have to think of yourself as a leader, you need to act like a leader,” Zelensky said. “How can we achieve a ceasefire on the territory of Ukraine without listening to the position of the country and without listening to the position of the leader of this country? This is very, very surprising.”
In a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 28, the leaders of France and Germany “renewed their demand for a ceasefire” and called on Putin to have a direct exchange with Zelensky.
In an interview published on Saturday, the French president said: “We must not humiliate Russia so that on the day the fighting ends we can build an exit by diplomatic means. I am convinced that France’s role is to act as a mediator to be power.”
“We’re not going to humiliate anyone,” Zelensky said. “We will respond in kind.”
Zelensky said Macron, as the leader of the Norman bargaining chip that existed before the extensive February 24 invasion by Russia, “has a deep understanding of all the details, of all the details of all the agreements made with the Russian Federation, and of Russia’s failure to act.” to live up to these agreements.”
He said he was prepared to negotiate with Russia, but that the only person who could talk about ending the war was Putin himself.
“Every war must be ended at the negotiating table,” he said. “This is exactly how it happened in history. I am still resolute and determined whether I like it or not, I am ready for direct negotiations with President Putin if we are ready to discuss seriously how to end this war.”
Zelensky also said Russia’s blockade of ports, which is preventing grain exports, is “a threat of global proportions”.
“This threat has only one side; this is the Russian Federation. There is no dialogue here. This is a very concrete, tangible threat to Asia, Africa and certain countries in Europe,” he said.
“We understand that the resulting consequences could be famine and migration that will affect Europe. So the consequences could be very serious,” he said. “And everyone knows for sure that we will not let Russian ships go to Ukrainian ports, because they attack us daily, and everyone knows that Ukraine is ready to export everything we have. We are ready for normal civilized conditions, but on safe terms.”