Zelenskyy says territorial issue ‘extremely painful’ for Ukraine after talks with Germany’s Merz

- 'Security guarantees must be in place and they must work, first and foremost for Ukraine, but also in interest of Europe'

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the question of territory remains “an extremely painful issue” for Ukraine, following talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as Kyiv continues negotiations with the US and European partners on a possible path toward ending the war.

Speaking after a meeting in Berlin, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had clearly presented its position during lengthy discussions with a US delegation -- led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, an unofficial advisor to President Donald Trump -- stressing that Kyiv’s views must be respected in any potential agreement.

“Well, we had a little bit of a technical difficulty there with the interpretation. But to respond to that question, I’d like to say that we have great respect for the US delegation. I don’t have a sense that the US demanded something of us. I see the US as a strategic partner,” Zelenskyy said.

“And so the question regarding territorial concessions to Russia — sure. Well, I mean, I’m well aware of what the Russian demands are, and obviously, I couldn’t demand anything of the US delegation. I merely communicated to the special envoys what our point of view is, and asked them to communicate that to the Russian side,” he added.

Zelenskyy said the territorial question remains central and deeply sensitive for Ukraine.

“The question of territory is an extremely painful issue for us,” he said, noting that while Russia has its own demands, Ukraine’s position is “very clear” and must be respected in any potential agreement.

Zelenskyy described Germany as a key supporter of Ukraine and thanked Merz for close coordination, noting that security guarantees remain a central element of the negotiations.

“Security guarantees must be in place, and they must work, first and foremost for Ukraine, but also in the interest of Europe,” he said.

He confirmed that talks with the US team continued for several hours over two days and remain ongoing, calling the negotiations “very fact-based.”

Zelenskyy said Washington is expected to suggest possible steps to help reach consensus, while Ukraine is prepared to continue working “fairly and constructively.”