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Ukraine Will Not Withdraw Troops or Surrender Territory to Russia, Says Zelenskyy
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
On May 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not agree to any conditions that involve withdrawing its armed forces from Ukrainian territory.
Speaking at a press briefing, Zelenskyy emphasized the constitutional duty of the state to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of continued Russian aggression.
“No one will withdraw our troops from our territory. That is my constitutional obligation. It is the duty of our military — to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said. “Yes, there are territories that are temporarily occupied due to the aggression of such a large country — that’s clear. But there will be no ultimatums, and no one will surrender their land, their territory, their people, their homes.”
The Ukrainian leader also addressed recent statements suggesting Russia may be prepared for renewed negotiations and compromise, possibly in connection to the recent Putin–Trump phone call.
“If you ask questions for which you already know the answer — and that answer is not going to be positive — then clearly you are not seeking a real result,” he said. “Although that’s what we were just discussing with the President of the United States. He believes Russia is ready for negotiations and compromises, and so on. I don’t remember all the details, but we’ll see.”
Earlier, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov shared details of a recent phone conversation between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.
-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
