President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that Ukraine’s territorial integrity is enshrined in the Constitution, making any discussions on the status of temporarily occupied territories, including Crimea, impossible.
He stated this at a press conference in Ankara following talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.
“Crimea is an integral part of our country, and Türkiye, thankfully, recognizes and supports this stance. It upholds the principles of the UN Charter and affirms that Crimea belongs to Ukraine—it is a Ukrainian peninsula. President Erdoğan consistently raises this issue at the start of our discussions. Whenever we talk about Ukraine’s territorial integrity, he reiterates: ‘I reaffirm our support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity. We do not recognize the temporarily occupied territories as Russian. Crimea is Ukrainian.’ He states this position unwaveringly, and I am sincerely grateful for his support. This is my stance, it is his stance, and it is the position shared by the majority of the world,” Zelensky said.
He emphasized that territorial issues are non-negotiable as they contradict the Constitution.
“Regarding the situation in the temporarily occupied territories—how to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and address ongoing humanitarian crises— we are ready to discuss these matters in detail. We want this, we need this. There are many details. However, in any negotiations, I always stress that we do not legally recognize the temporarily occupied territories as Russian. This is Ukrainian land,” the President added.
As reported by Ukrinform, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he would send a delegation, led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, to Istanbul for talks with the Russian delegation.
Source: Zelensky: Status of temporarily occupied territories is not subject to negotiation
