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2026-02-21 10:38:52
Zelenskyy: Ukraine is not losing the war with Russia
In an exclusive interview with AFP, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, according to France24, that Ukraine is not losing the war with Russia, although he admitted that the question of victory remains open and "very costly".
Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the invasion, he said Ukrainian forces had regained approximately 300 square kilometres of territory in a new counter-offensive, mainly in the south of the country. The claims could not be independently verified.At the same time, Zelenskyy rejected pressure from both the US and Moscow to make territorial concessions in Donbas. He argued that any withdrawal of Ukrainian troops would only embolden the Kremlin. Negotiations in Geneva have yet to yield progress and, according to Kyiv, Russian President Vladimir Putin is showing no willingness to compromise.
The Ukrainian president also dismissed the idea of holding elections during the war, suggesting that Russia is seeking to weaken him politically. As part of a possible ceasefire, he said he would like to see European troops deployed as close as possible to the front line, provided allies offer credible security guarantees.(pir)