- Zelensky: Territorial cessions only with the consent of the people
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not consider territorial concessions as part of a potential peace solution with Russia without the consent of the Ukrainian people. "You must understand that any question regarding 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 official offers have been made to Ukraine so far. "And Ukraine will never give up its territories. The leaders have not officially been given the right to give up their territories. The Ukrainian people must want this," Zelensky said. Additionally, it should be considered that Russia's President Vladimir Putin would view 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. The constitutional article 133 also lists all territories, including the Crimean Peninsula with the city of Sevastopol and the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. A two-thirds majority in parliament is also required for constitutional amendments.
Zelensky wants Russia at the negotiating table
In future peace talks, Russia should be present, 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 don't want them to block us in the development of a common plan." If everyone wants Russia at the negotiating table, then Ukraine cannot object.
To better defend against the Russian invasion that began two and a half years ago, Zelensky hopes for permission to strike 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 as the USA does, just as the European Union does."
Praise for Ukrainian air defense
Zelensky praised the air defense of his country. "Just last night, they shot down almost 90 'Shaheds' (kamikaze drones), that's quite an achievement," he said in his evening video address. Nevertheless, the air defense needs to be strengthened. "And if we can now achieve such a significant result in defending against 'Shaheds', it's 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 for 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 like military airports on Russian territory. "Russian terror must be stopped every time the occupier tries to destroy life in Ukraine."
Meanwhile, Russian troops in the east of Ukraine are increasing pressure on defenders. As reported in the daily situation report by the General Staff in Kyiv, Ukrainian positions in Torez and Pokrovsk were repeatedly shelled while enemy soldiers attempted a breakthrough, but were successfully repelled. Russian military has been focusing on this front section in Donbass for some time, aiming to breach Ukrainian lines and capture crucial 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 had agreed to provide the jets, wanted to make an official statement yet. Ukrainian pilots have been trained on these machines in both countries over the past months.
The U.S. 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 U.S. National Security Council, said at the NATO summit that the process of delivering F-16s is moving forward. "We said they would be combat-ready by the end of the summer, and we have no reason to doubt that."
In addition to Denmark and the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway have also pledged F-16 combat aircraft to the Ukrainian military. In total, Kyiv is set to receive around 60 machines.
Zelensky highlighted the importance of Russia's participation in future peace talks, stating, "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."
With the potential arrival of F-16 combat jets in Ukraine, the Ukrainian air defense capabilities could be significantly enhanced, allowing for a more effective defense against Russian attacks, as Zelensky mentioned, "We need reliable air defense systems, we need sufficient range for our weapons."
