Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a stalemate in the conflict with Russia was “not an option for us” as he once more appealed for western military support to restore his country’s territorial integrity, Financial Times reports.
“We are inferior in terms of equipment and therefore we are not capable of advancing,” he said. “We are going to suffer more losses and people are my priority.”
Zelensky said pushing Russian forces back to positions occupied before the “February 24 invasion would amount to a serious temporary victory” for Ukraine but full sovereignty over its territory remained his ultimate goal. Zelensky has said Ukraine could be losing up to 100 troops a day.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly asked western partners for the rapid supply of longer-range heavy weaponry to push back Russian forces but have been dismayed by the slow pace of deliveries and the continuing fear in some capitals of provoking a Russian escalation. Zelensky said that “victory must be achieved on the battlefield”.
But he also insisted he was open to peace talks despite atrocities committed by Russian troops during their 100-day onslaught. “Any war should be ended at the negotiating table,” he said. However, peace negotiations would have to be face to face with President Vladimir Putin, because there was “nobody else to talk to” but the Russian leader.
Zelensky hit out at what he saw as attempts by some western allies to explore the terms of a ceasefire without involving Kyiv. “We need abiding interest from the west, western support for Ukraine’s sovereignty. There cannot be talks behind Ukraine’s back anytime. “How can we achieve a ceasefire on the territory of Ukraine without listening to the position of this country? This is very surprising.”
He said his allies could do more to bring Russia to the negotiating table by supplying Ukraine with arms and by toughening economic sanctions on Moscow, including a complete oil and gas embargo. They should not be mere mediators, he said, but should be ensuring that Moscow ended its hostilities and would honour any ceasefire. They should, he said, be setting the “preconditions” for peace. “You have influence on the result . . . Apart from words, you should manifest what you can actually do.”
Ukrainian officials regard the UK as one of its most steadfast supporters after Johnson’s decisions from early in the conflict to provide sophisticated weapons to Kyiv and to back its full war aims.
Zelensky said that while some western sanctions had already dealt a severe blow to the Russian economy, they “have not really influenced the Russian position”. Moscow was constantly finding ways to circumvent sanctions, he added.
He also suggested that some western governments were already tiring of the economic fallout from sanctions on Russia and were looking for ways to soften the impact to protect their own commercial interests.
“Everyone is acting like a cipher. They are supporting Ukraine but also checking what can be done to weaken sanctions so business doesn’t suffer,” Zelensky said.
