Zelenskyy says territorial concessions remain Ukraine’s ‘biggest challenge’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that protecting Ukraine’s territorial integrity remains the “biggest challenge” successful ongoing negotiations implicit a US program to extremity the war, pursuing discussions successful Paris with European and US officials.

Speaking alongside French President Emmanuel Macron astatine a associated quality league connected Monday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s priorities see information guarantees, sovereignty and preventing concessions that would legitimise Moscow’s concern of Ukrainian land.

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“Our biggest situation is the territorial issue,” helium said, urging partners to debar immoderate result that “rewards the warfare it [Russia] started”.

The comments came arsenic officials from France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom joined discussions successful Paris, holding calls with US peculiar envoy Steve Witkoff arsenic portion of an intensifying diplomatic propulsion to extremity the war, which Russia launched with its full-scale penetration successful February 2022.

Zelenskyy said the gathering besides reviewed the substance of talks held a time earlier betwixt Ukrainian and American officials successful the United States, adding that much meetings are being prepared crossed Europe.

Macron reiterated that “Ukraine indispensable beryllium the 1 to determine its ain territorial boundaries”, portion signalling that further discussions are planned betwixt Washington and European allies connected imaginable information guarantees for Ukraine should a woody to extremity the warfare emerge.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni besides emphasised the request for unity betwixt Europe and the US connected a pathway towards peace. In a statement, she praised Zelenskyy’s “consistently constructive approach” and said she hoped Russia would “offer its ain factual contribution” to aboriginal talks.

Territorial question deepens diplomatic tensions

The territorial contented is shaping up to beryllium the astir delicate constituent successful negotiations, arsenic Witkoff and US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, hole to conscionable Russian President Vladimir Putin connected Tuesday.

Zelenskyy has said helium hopes to talk with Trump aft those talks. But Ukrainian officials person already told the US that Kyiv volition not judge immoderate colony requiring it to cede territory.

“We told the American broadside that it is unacceptable for Russia to proceed its concern of our territory and past request that we assistance it legitimacy,” Zelenskyy’s adviser, Rustem Umerov, told Al Jazeera Arabic. “Giving up our territory means that planetary instrumentality nary longer exists and that immoderate enactment tin usage unit to abolish the sovereignty of different party.”

Umerov said information guarantees stay a delicate portion of discussions, due to the fact that “we are seeking information for some Europe and Ukraine”. He added that negotiations volition beryllium “extremely difficult” if Russia genuinely engages, arguing that Moscow inactive believes “continuing the warfare is little costly than ending it”.

Reporting from Brussels, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra said that European Union leaders are insisting that nary large concessions beryllium made to Russia, and that “instead of handing implicit territory, determination request to beryllium onshore swaps that tin lone beryllium decided by the Ukrainian people”.

It comes aft a draught US program was leaked to the property successful mid-November, prompting disapproval successful Ukraine and among its European allies, who said the papers heavy favoured Moscow.

The program had projected to bounds Ukraine’s service spot to 600,000 men, with nary notation of immoderate headdress connected Russia. It besides barred Kyiv from ever joining NATO, and included plans for Moscow to support captured Ukrainian territories.

Russian strikes deed Dnipro

As diplomatic efforts accelerate, Ukraine suffered different deadly onslaught earlier connected Monday. Local officials said astatine slightest 4 radical were killed successful a Russian rocket onslaught connected the cardinal metropolis of Dnipro.

Interfax reported that injuries person risen to 43, citing Vladyslav Haivanenko, the acting caput of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration. He said 10 radical were successful superior condition. The onslaught damaged an administrative building, respective businesses, 4 acquisition institutions, aggregate high-rise buildings, 2 work stations and much than 50 vehicles.

Dnipro, located astir 100km (62 miles) from the beforehand enactment and location to astir 1 cardinal radical earlier the war, is often targeted by Russian bombardments.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces had “liberated” the colony of Klynove successful Ukraine’s Donetsk region, claiming it had precocious heavy into Ukrainian positions. However, the Ukrainian service has refuted these claims.

Moscow said Ukraine mislaid astir 1,415 troops crossed the beforehand implicit the past 24 hours. Kyiv, meanwhile, reported eliminating 1,060 Russian troops, 1 tank, six armoured vehicles, 14 artillery systems, 239 drones and 71 vehicles successful the aforesaid period.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify either side’s battlefield claims.