ISTANBUL 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday it is his responsibility to lead negotiations with Russia on territorial matters, stressing that Ukraine’s sovereignty is not up for discussion by intermediaries.

“It is my job to hold talks on territories – and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s, who seized them (in the ongoing war). I will not discuss my position on this with anyone else,” Zelenskyy said in an interview with Hungarian outlet Valasz Online.

His comments came in response to a question about Ukraine’s willingness to compromise during ongoing peace negotiations with Russia. He confirmed that a memorandum submitted to Moscow during last week’s talks in Istanbul no longer referenced Ukraine’s 1991 borders.

“Our memorandum is the basis for negotiations. Based on this, our delegation has a mandate to discuss humanitarian issues – the issue of prisoners of war and abducted children – or a ceasefire.

“However, they do not have a mandate to discuss Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is our own constitutional matter,” he said.

Reiterating Ukraine’s position that it does not recognize any of its territories Moscow said it has annexed as belonging to Russia, Zelenskyy added that territorial questions could be addressed diplomatically if Kyiv gets credible security guarantees.

“And this is already a major compromise, because we have a long road ahead of us. We want to end the war, but this requires the will of both parties. If the other party is not ready for this, it will always come up with something,” he said.

Zelenskyy also claimed the Russian delegation had presented an “ultimatum” during the most recent talks in Istanbul last week – one he said Kyiv would not accept.

He called for the involvement of “strong mediators” in future negotiations to ensure Russia adheres to any agreements reached.

“The United States does not appear to be a strong mediator at the moment: the Russians told them not to be at the table, and they simply walked away. Why? Because of their soft policy towards Russia,” he said.

Zelenskyy argued that lasting peace would require pressure from international actors who understand Putin’s “true goals.”

“A ceasefire is certainly possible sooner – and it is important that it happens – but peace will only come when the world understands what the Russian president wants,” he added.