President: Ukraine will not legally recognize any temporarily occupied territories

Zelensky stated this during a conversation with journalists, as reported by an Ukrinform correspondent.

“Our position is unchanged: only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian. The Constitution of Ukraine states that all temporarily occupied territories are temporarily occupied. They all belong to Ukraine, to the Ukrainian people. Ukraine will not legally recognize any temporarily occupied territories. I think this is an absolutely fair position. It is legal not only from the point of view of the Constitution of Ukraine, but also from the point of view of international law,” Zelensky stated. 

He further emphasized that the majority of countries worldwide support Ukraine's position. “Even those countries that are constantly balancing in the relations between us and Russia, even they all recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula,” the President added.

President Volodymyr Zelensky also commented on Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO, emphasizing that the country's position currently depends on the support of NATO member states.

"Today, I believe we must remain pragmatic and recognize the necessity of securing guarantees that Ukraine urgently needs. Discussions in London have focused on security guarantees from the United States. We hope them [guarantees] to be at least as robust as those provided to Israel. Additionally, we anticipate support from our European partners and are actively developing the infrastructure necessary for these guarantees," Zelensky emphasized.

He further highlighted that, in addition to the European contingent, Ukraine expects support from the United States. However, Zelensky clarified that this does not imply a direct U.S. presence in Ukraine but instead focuses on cooperation in areas such as intelligence, cyber defense, and Patriot air defense systems.

As Ukrinform reported, US President Donald Trump, in an interview with Time magazine on the occasion of the first 100 days of his second presidential term, stated that he does not believe Ukraine will ever join NATO. He also expressed his view that the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula "will stay with Russia."

Photo: President’s Office