Kyiv's position on Russian-controlled territories in Ukraine remains ‘unchanged’: Zelenskyy

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said that his country’s position on its territories currently under Russian control remained “unchanged.”

“Our position is unchanged. Only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian,” Zelenskyy told journalists in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy's remarks came as US President Donald Trump said in remarks to Time Magazine published earlier Friday that the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014, "will stay with Russia" as part of any agreement to end the ongoing Ukraine war.

Reaffirming that Ukraine’s constitution defines all Russian-controlled territories of his country as “temporarily occupied,” Zelenskyy stressed Kyiv’s refusal to recognize these territories as Russian.

“It seems to me that this is an absolutely fair position. It is legal not only from the point of view of the Constitution of Ukraine, but also from the point of view of international law,” he further said.

Zelenskyy argued that many countries, including those that are balancing their relations between Moscow and Kyiv, recognize Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, including with regard to Crimea.

He went on to say that Ukraine’s membership in NATO depends on the support of the alliance's member countries, arguing that they must be “pragmatic” and understand there are security guarantees that Ukraine needs.”

“There are issues that were discussed in London regarding security guarantees from the US. We really want them to be strong … We also expect a contingent from our European colleagues,” he said.

Representatives of the UK, France, Germany and the US met in London on Thursday with a Ukrainian delegation for another round of talks following a meeting in Paris last week.