Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kyiv will be holding on to the Russian territories it seized last month indefinitely as its war with Russia stretches on. It’s part of a plan to force Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.
Point phone camera here
Almost a month ago, Ukrainian troops took over Russia’s Kursk region in an unexpected operation. Ukraine now claims it controls nearly 500 square miles of Russian territory and has taken hundreds of Russian prisoners of war.
In an interview with NBC News, Zelenskyy would not discuss whether Ukraine planned to try to seize more Russian territory.
“We don’t need the Russian territory. Our operation is aimed to restore our territorial integrity. We capture Russian troops to replace them with the Ukrainian. We tell them, you know, we need our military soldiers in exchange with the Russian one. The same attitude is to the territories. We don’t need their land,” Zelenskyy said.
The interview aired hours before Ukraine’s foreign minister resigned Wednesday, Sept. 4, as a Ukraine parliament deputy warned it would be the “day of resignations,” with more than half of Zelenskyy’s cabinet members expected to be replaced.
Tags: Russia, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Ukraine Defense Ministry, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY SAYS KYIV WILL BE HOLDING ON TO THE RUSSIAN TERRITORIES IT SEIZED LAST MONTH — INDEFINITELY — AS ITS WAR WITH RUSSIA STRETCHES on.
IT’S PART OF A PLAN TO FORCE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE.
ALMOST A MONTH AGO — UKRAINIAN TROOPS TOOK OVER RUSSIA’S KURSK REGION IN AN UNEXPECTED OPERATION
UKRAINE NOW CLAIMS IT CONTROLS NEARLY 500 SQUARE MILES OF RUSSIAN TERRITORY AND HAS TAKEN HUNDREDS OF RUSSIAN PRISONERS OF WAR.
In an interview with NBC News — PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY SAYS IT’S NOT ABOUT LAND — IT’S ABOUT SOMETHING MORE.
“NOW YOU CAPTURED THIS TERRORITORY IN RUISSA. SO THE BIG QUESTION IS, WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO WITH IT?”
“WE DON’T NEED THE RUSSIAN TERRITORY. OUR OPERATION IS AIMED TO RESTORE OUR TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY. WE CAPTURE RUSSIAN TROOPS TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE UKRAINIAN. WE TELL THEM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED OUR MILITARY SOLDIERS IN EXCHANGE WITH THE RUSSIAN ONE. THE SAME ATTITUDE IS TO THE TERRITORIES. WE DON’T NEED THEIR LAND.”
ZELENSKYY WOULD NOT DISCUSS WHETHER UKRAINE PLANNED TO TRY TO SEIZE MORE RUSSIAN TERRITORY.
Zelenskyy’s interview aired just hours before UKRAINE’S FOREIGN MINISTER RESIGNED today … as A UKRAINE PARLIAMENT DEPUTY, WARNED WEDNESDAY WOULD BE THE QUOTE “DAY OF RESIGNATIONS” — WITH MORE THAN HALF OF ZELENSKYY’S CABINET MEMBERS EXPECTED TO BE REPLACED.
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
