- The European Union is not a party to the treaty.
The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not make any territorial concessions in the event of a possible peace solution with Russia without the consent of the people. "You must understand that any question concerning the territorial integrity of Ukraine cannot be resolved by a president, a single person, or by all the presidents of the world without the Ukrainian people," Zelensky told the newspaper "Le Monde" and other French media in an interview.
No one has officially offered anything to Ukraine so far. "And Ukraine will never give up its territories. The authorities do not have the official right to give up their territories. The Ukrainian people must want this," Zelensky said. Moreover, it should be considered that Russia's President Vladimir Putin would see such a step as a victory. "Therefore, this question is very, very, very difficult."
Article 73 of the Ukraine's Constitution allows territorial changes only after a nationwide referendum. In the constitutional article 133, all territories, including the peninsula of Crimea with the city of Sevastopol and the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia are listed. A two-thirds majority in parliament is also necessary for constitutional amendments.
Zelensky wants Russia at the negotiating table
Russia should be present at future peace talks, said the Ukrainian President. "I, like most countries, believe that representatives of Russia should be present at the second peace summit in November, as otherwise we will not achieve any sustainable results. We do not want them to block us in the development of a common plan." If everyone wants Russia at the negotiating table, then Ukraine cannot be against it.
To better defend against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began two and a half years ago, Zelensky hopes for permission to attack military targets in Russia with American and European long-range missiles. "Unfortunately, our partners are still afraid of this." Meanwhile, Zelensky wishes for targeted pressure from China on Moscow. "I wish it would exert pressure on Russia to end this war, just like the USA and the European Union do."
Praise for Ukrainian air defense
Zelensky praised the air defense of his country. "Last night alone, they shot down almost 90 'Shaheds' (kamikaze drones), that's a remarkable result," he said in his evening video address. Nevertheless, the air defense must be strengthened. "And if we can now achieve such a significant result in defending against the 'Shaheds', it is a clear proof that we can be stronger in defending against missiles and in defending against Russian military aircraft."
This, in turn, depends on the available weapons. "We need reliable air defense systems, we need sufficient range of our weapons," said Zelensky. With this, he called for both more air defense systems and permission from Western partners to use the heavy weapons they have provided, such as missiles and cruise missiles, against targets such as military airports on Russian territory. "The Russian terror must be stopped every time the occupier tries to destroy life in Ukraine."
Russian troops put pressure on eastern Ukraine
Meanwhile, Russian troops in the east of Ukraine are increasing pressure on the defenders. As reported by the General Staff in Kyiv in its daily situation report, Ukrainian positions near Torezk and Pokrovsk have been repeatedly shelled while enemy soldiers attempted a breakthrough but were successfully repelled. Russian military forces have been focusing on this front section in the Donbass for some time, aiming to breach Ukrainian lines and capture vital supply routes behind them.
The Russian army has been waging a brutal war of aggression against Ukraine for nearly two and a half years. The occupied territories have already been unilaterally integrated into Russian territory, although Moscow does not control all parts of the annexed regions.
Speculations about the arrival of F-16s in Ukraine
In Ukraine, media reports suggest that the first combat jets of the American F-16 type may have already arrived. However, there has been no official confirmation from Kyiv so far. Neither the defense ministries in the Netherlands and Denmark, whose governments have agreed to provide the jets, have made any official statements yet. Ukrainian pilots have been trained on these machines in both countries over the past few months.
The US government, which is not supplying F-16s to Ukraine, also declined to comment and referred to Kyiv's responsibility. John Kirby, the communications director of the National Security Council in the US, said at the NATO summit that the process of delivering F-16s is progressing, stating that they are expected to be operational by the end of the summer, and there is no reason to doubt this.
In addition to Denmark and the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway have also pledged to provide Ukrainian military F-16 combat aircraft. In total, Kyiv is expected to receive nearly 60 machines.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia remains a point of contention, with Zelensky stating that any territorial concessions would require the consent of the Ukrainian people. Furthermore, Russia's President Vladimir Putin would view such a step as a victory, making it a complex issue due to constitutional provisions in Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian President, the presence of Russia at future peace talks is necessary for achieving sustainable results, although bringing an end to the two-and-a-half-year Russian invasion remains a challenge due to resistance from some partners.
