Zelenskyy's Office: We have no plans to beg Russia about potential negotiations

“Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories," Mykhailo Podolyak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, News.az reports.

“Ukraine is not interested in occupying Russian territories. This is obvious. Because Ukraine is waging an exclusively defensive war strictly within the framework of international law... But if we are talking about potential negotiations – I emphasize potential – we will have to put Russian Federation at the table opposite. On our own terms. We have absolutely no plans to beg: "Please, sit down to negotiate". Instead, we have proven, effective means of coercion.

In addition to economic and diplomatic ones, this is also a military tool. We need to inflict significant tactical defeats on Russia. In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade the Russian Federation to enter a fair negotiation process," he said.

According to Podolyak, the public opinion within Russia is beginning to change when the war has come deep into their territory: "It is a fact that until recently, citizens of the aggressor country generally remained indifferent to the hostilities because they took place in Ukraine."

"There is a certain illusion among our Western allies that there is a discussion among Russians about the war. No, there are no such discussions; political issues are not discussed there at all. The Russians did not talk about the war and felt quite comfortable because death and destruction were raging far away from them. When the war came to their territory, the Russians were obviously scared," Zelenskyy's Adviser added.

News.Az