ISTANBUL

The French presidency, Elysee, denied claims on Friday of a possible peace agreement involving the concession of Ukrainian territory, reiterating the need for security guarantees for Kyiv, according to the Ouest-France newspaper.

"We need full clarity on security guarantees before any adjustment on contentious territorial issues can even be considered,” it said at a news briefing.

The presidency reaffirmed that there will be "no transfer of Ukrainian territory” nor the creation of a demilitarized zone.

"The Russians must understand that if they resume the war [after a cease-fire agreement], they will be facing the Europeans, the Americans, and the Ukrainians. The first security guarantee is equipping a strong, robust Ukrainian army to deter Russia,” the presidency reportedly stressed.

The Elysee also noted that Europe's diplomatic approach is to establish “a solid common foundation for negotiations, one that must bring together the Americans, Ukrainians and Europeans so they can jointly present the Russians with a strong, lasting peace proposal that respects international law and Ukraine’s sovereign interests.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Ukraine is advancing parallel negotiation tracks with partners in Europe and the US, covering security guarantees, economic recovery and diplomatic coordination to bring the war to an end.

On Monday, Germany is expected to hold bilateral talks with Zelenskyy on economic support for Ukraine and discuss the latest diplomatic initiatives.