Ukraine won’t cede territory in ceasefire talks: Zelensky

Helsinki: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that while Kyiv seeks a ceasefire, it will not accept any territorial concessions to Russia.

Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelensky arrived in Finland on Tuesday afternoon for a one-day official visit, during which he met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

At a joint press conference following their meeting on Wednesday, Zelensky emphasised that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remain non-negotiable when asked about the “red lines” in potential armistice talks.

He stressed that a ceasefire would eventually be implemented, but Ukraine would not accept Russia’s territorial demands.

Zelensky declined to comment on details of a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xinhua news agency reported. He said he would wait until speaking with Trump directly before making a statement.

In a telephone call on Tuesday, Putin and Trump discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and ways to restore bilateral ties.

While not ruling out future negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, Zelensky insisted that talks could only proceed if Russia halted its attacks. He also reiterated Ukraine’s readiness to send a delegation to the United States for ceasefire discussions.

Stubb reiterated Finland’s continued support for Ukraine, stressing that “Ukraine must emerge from the war as an independent country.”

Stubb underlined that besides the Ukrainian, Russian and US teams, there should also be a European team in the talks.

Kyiv on Wednesday also accused Russian forces of launching a drone and missile attack on Ukraine overnight Wednesday, damaging energy and infrastructure facilities.

In its statement, the Ukrainian Air Force said the attack involved two Iskander-M missiles, four S-300 guided missiles, and 145 combat and imitation drones.

The attack has affected six regions in southern, northern and central Ukraine, it said.

According to Ukrainian authorities, the attack damaged a railway power grid in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, a hospital in the northeastern Sumy region, and an enterprise and agricultural machinery in the Chernihiv region.

Meanwhile, in the northern Kyiv region, two people were injured, and 18 private houses, 20 apartments, two shops and other civilian facilities were damaged

IANS