Ukraine won’t recognize territorial changes “under any circumstances,” Zelenskyy tells press before US meeting

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined Ukraine's non-negotiable positions ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump, identifying territories, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and security guarantees as the country's "red lines."

Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy said work is underway to minimize unresolved issues before the talks. "There are 'red lines' for Ukraine. There are compromise proposals from the Americans, we know them, and probably our enemy also has its own goals. All these issues are very sensitive. This includes territories and ZAES. You know my attitude—legally, we will not recognize anything under any circumstances," he stated.

The president emphasized that security guarantees represent the primary concern. "Today, Russia demonstrated how it responds to peace negotiations between Ukraine and the USA regarding ending the war against Ukraine. Today, the most important thing is that if we take certain steps, it's important that security guarantees be strong and that we are protected. And if the American side raises the question of a referendum or elections—this cannot happen under the conditions we live in today," Zelenskyy said.

He noted that Russia launched massive attacks on Ukraine as the two sides moved toward peace talks, describing this as Moscow's response to the negotiation efforts.

Zelenskyy confirmed that the US team had meetings in Moscow with Russian representatives. He said he specifically wanted Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to join the discussions in Ukraine. "More meetings—more opportunities to explain where we live, what we're fighting for, who is fighting. They know many things. I think our meetings helped them understand many details: regarding security guarantees, certainly the legal support of these security guarantees, and what kind we need," the president said.

Regarding territorial questions, Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine's position: "If there is an update to approaches, of course, before one or another decision, we will communicate with the people, because the people of Ukraine are the most important."

He added that the path to making such decisions could involve either a referendum or legislative changes, but stressed this discussion would require consultation with society.

On additional support needs, Zelenskyy mentioned his upcoming stop in Canada before traveling to Florida. "We lack additional air defense systems, and you see this. They know it. We need systematic supply of systems and missiles. We need more missiles. Russia attacks more, with a greater number of both drones and missiles," he said.

The president noted that meetings with the US team have deepened their understanding of sensitive issues, including the risks of agreements with Russia. "Honestly, they always told me they greatly respect the strength of our people, the strength of our soldiers—and this is true—but regarding territories, regarding the details of ZAES operation and other such sensitive territorial issues, of course, they are now deeper in all these matters after our meetings," Zelenskyy said.