The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky told Wolf Blitzer of CNN on Thursday (7), that Ukraine is not willing to cede any of its land to Russia, standing firm that a concession of Ukrainian territory will not be part of any diplomatic negotiation to end the war.
“Ukrainians are not ready to give away their land, to accept that these territories belong to Russia. This is our land,” Zelensky said in an exclusive interview broadcast Thursday on “The Situation Room” of CNN .
“We’ve always talked about it and we intend to prove it,” he added.
Zelensky spoke to CNN at the same time that one of its main Western allies, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, announced that he would resign. Speaking in Ukrainian through a translator, Zelensky said he was confident British policy towards Ukraine “will not change” even as the country’s leadership is in trouble.
“He resigned not because he was in Ukraine. I think, on the contrary, what Johnson has done for Ukraine is helping us a lot. I consider him a friend of Ukraine, but I think his society also supported Ukraine in Europe. That’s why I think the UK is on the side of good, on the side of Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
“And I’m sure the UK policy towards Ukraine is not… changing because of Boris Johnson’s resignation. Our relations obviously gained a lot from Boris Johnson’s understanding of things. We’ve been through a lot of dramatic moments recently. The much-needed help we received was delivered quickly…whether (his resignation) will affect that speed of help I don’t know. I will pray to God that this does not affect this aid.”
Russia’s war with Ukraine has now lasted more than four months, with no sign of either side pulling back anytime soon.
Ukraine’s early successes forced Russia to scale back its initial goals of overthrowing Kiev, and Moscow’s forces now focused on taking territory in eastern Ukraine. Russian forces have already occupied most of the Luhansk region, outside of some pockets of resistance, and are putting pressure on the cities of Donetsk.
THE CNN reported last week that White House officials are losing confidence that Ukraine will be able to regain all the land it has lost to Russia since the start of the war, even with the help of heavier and more sophisticated weaponry than the United States. States and its allies plan to supply Kiev.
Zelensky acknowledged that Russia controls “almost the entire Luhansk region”, saying its forces are now “fighting on the outskirts of this region”. He said Kiev retreated to avoid massive troop losses.
“I don’t even understand what exactly they’re controlling there. They ruined cities, schools. Are they the occupants of the rubble?” Zelensky said.
Zelensky said he was happy that Sweden and Finland were being accepted as members of NATO, although the Western military alliance had long resisted accepting Ukraine as a member.
“It’s not a superficial, but a deep understanding of the risks for these countries because of Russia’s aggressive attitude towards sovereign countries,” Zelensky said. “That’s why we fully support their joining. The whole world is helping Ukraine, some doing humanitarian aid, others financial or military, both Houses in the United States support us”.
“The world is doing a lot, but it could have been easier – Ukraine could have been accepted as a member of NATO. It would be a lot simpler than people think.”
Still, Zelensky expressed gratitude for the military support Ukraine received from the United States, which provided weapons with greater capability as the war dragged on, while urging the West to continue providing military support to help Ukraine maintain its fight.
“(The) United States is helping Ukraine, helping a lot, but it’s not enough to win. I hope my confidence will accelerate this aid to Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “We want to increase this aid – we are fighting for our land, we don’t want people from different countries to fight for our territory. But the US is a world economy and can help us with weapons and finance.”
“Also, the US can influence the decisions of European countries – that is also political support. I have to be honest, some countries in Europe want a balance between Russia and Ukraine. But due to US help they started to support it. So when I talk about the volume and speed of arms support, I’m not just appealing to (to) the United States, I’m appealing to all world leaders and I say that the faster the aid, the more aid, will save the Ukrainians and help us to recover the territories occupied by Russia”.
Asked if the war could end before the end of the year, Zelensky said: “Our country will remain united and unified. If our partners’ mighty weaponry arrives in time, and if good luck and God is on our side, we can achieve many things before the end of the year and we can stop this war. We can stop the military part, at least, of this war.”
Zelensky also reiterated his call for US President Joe Biden to visit Kiev, saying it would send a message to Russia and the world.
“We would love to see President Biden in Ukraine. I heard he supported the idea. There are some security moments that get in the way of your visit, we understand that,” Zelensky said. “I really think it would help the Ukrainians. Ukrainians support (the) United States, the confidence of Ukrainians in the United States is very high, as well as in the United Kingdom, Poland and the Baltic countries.”
“So the visits of world leaders who are not just partners but true friends – give a signal, a signal, that the United States supports Ukraine because it believes in Ukrainian victory and is not afraid of Russia. They come despite the rockets. They are not afraid of Putin because the world is much bigger than a leader of a country.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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