Territorial issues not discussed in Riyadh – Zelensky
The head of state said this during a briefing on Tuesday, March 25, when asked about the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement when Russia demands the surrender of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.
"There are no territorial issues, so it does not matter what they [the Russians] say. We must follow our strategy. I believe that any decisions regarding a ceasefire, even partial ones, are in line with our strategy. Why? Because by doing so, we demonstrate that we want to end the war," Zelensky said.
He also added that Ukraine is clearly showing its desire to end the war, whereas Russia is trying to "distort" the conditions of the agreements and disrupt ceasefire arrangements.
"So, when the Russians start twisting things, saying that the ceasefire is incomplete, or that it should apply to one region but not another -- it doesn't matter! This is still a loss for those who actually want to continue the war. Because he [Putin] will keep disrupting any ceasefire agreements," he added.
According to Zelensky, if Russia fails to comply with ceasefire agreements, Ukraine will raise the issue with its partners.
"As soon as we agree on a ceasefire, we have done our job. After that, I have a direct question for President Trump: 'We are very grateful; you really negotiated this. But if they violate it -- we demand sanctions, we demand sanctions, we demand weapons.' That is my position," Zelensky said.
The White House released a statement summarizing the discussions between the American and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia. It states that the U.S. and Ukraine agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.
Additionally, the U.S. and Ukraine agreed to develop measures for implementing U.S. President Donald Trump's and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine.
