Ukraine not to give up own territories in country’s east just to end war - Zelensky
Ukraine is not willing to give up territory in the eastern part of the country to end the war with Russia, and Ukraine's military is prepared to fight Moscow's military in the Donbas region in a battle he says could influence the course of the entire war.
Zelensky said in an exclusive interview Friday with CNN's Jake Tapper from the office of the president in Kyiv that his country has no guarantee that Russia wouldn't try again to seize Kyiv if it is able to capture Donbas.
"This is why it is very important for us to not allow them, to stand our ground, because this battle … it can influence the course of the whole war," Zelensky said.
"Because I don't trust the Russian military and Russian leadership," he continued. "That is why we understand that the fact that we fought them off and they left, and they were running away from Kyiv — from the north, from Chernihiv and from that direction — it doesn't mean if they are able to capture Donbas, they won't come further towards Kyiv."
"I don't believe the world," he said, speaking in English. "We don't believe the words. After the escalation of Russia, we don't believe our neighbors. We don't believe all of this."
"The only belief there is belief in ourselves, in our people, belief in our Armed Forces, and the belief that countries are going to support us not just with their words but with their actions," Zelensky continued in Ukrainian. "And that's it. Never again. Really, everybody is talking about this and yet, as you can see, not everyone has got the guts."
Zelensky said that he's prepared to engage with Russia diplomatically to try to end the war but that Russia's attacks on Ukrainians make it harder to do.
"As I said before, what's the price of all this? It's people. The many people who have been killed. And who ends up paying for all of this? It's Ukraine. Just us," Zelensky said. "So for us, this is a really great cost. If there is an opportunity to speak, we'll speak. But to speak only under a Russian ultimatum? It's then a question about attitude towards us, not about whether the dialogue is 'good' or 'bad.' It's impossible."
Acknowledging that he still has a target on his back from the Kremlin as the war rages on, Zelensky was asked how he would want to be remembered.
"A human being that loved life to the fullest," he responded. "And loved his family and loved his motherland. Definitely not a hero. I want people to take me as I am. A regular human."
