With foreign media reporting that the direct talks between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine are going nowhere, as Vladimir Putin appears to be moving in that direction, Zelensky, rejecting ultimatums, is signalling that any agreement with Moscow should be put to a referendum.
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[/P]In an interview with the EBU network, the Ukrainian president stressed that it should be up to the Ukrainian people to decide on any compromise, including Ukraine's membership in NATO.
Zelensky stressed again that Ukraine will never submit to an ultimatum from Russia."
Everything will depend on the Ukraine-Russia talks. In the occupied cities, the Russians install their flag but people remove it. One man was killed for it. I can assure that only when we cease to exist will we submit to an ultimatum," the Ukrainian president noted.
"We do not accept ultimatums, we do not give up Kiev, Kharkiv or Mariupol."
Ukraine will never submit to ultimatums from Russia and cities like Kiev, Mariupol or Kharkiv will not accept Russian occupation. This was stated earlier by Zelensky in an interview with Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne.
"They have left us an ultimatum with several points. Follow it and then we will end the war they tell us," the Ukrainian president said and continued: "Ukraine cannot accept Russia's ultimatum."
"Russia considers it necessary to destroy us all, then its ultimatum will be fulfilled. For example, they say give us Kharkiv, Mariupol or Kiev. Neither Kharkiv, nor Mariupol, nor Kiev, nor I, the President, can accept it. The people themselves are protecting our state," Zelensky added.
"And we see it in the occupied cities of Melitopol, Berdyansk (...) people are resisting. (The Russians) raise a flag, people take it off," he continued.
"What do you want? Destroy us all. For this I answer: we will not be able to obey this ultimatum unless we are no longer here," he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government rejected the Russian ultimatum to surrender Mariupol overnight, almost as soon as it was formulated, and the escalation of military operations on almost all fronts indicates that peace efforts have no hope of reaching a conclusion anytime soon.
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