Zelensky warned that any peace agreement that significantly weakens Ukraine’s ability to defend itself in the future risks leading to another war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to demonstrate his willingness to negotiate with Russia from a principled position that preserves Ukraine’s territorial integrity in the long term. During an interview published on February 4, he reiterated that Ukraine will not discuss its sovereignty in future peace talks. However, he also criticized Ukraine’s partners for not providing sufficient military aid to push Russian forces out of all occupied territories.
This was reported in the latest analysis of the war in Ukraine by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Zelensky stated that he is ready to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin but warned that any peace agreement that significantly weakens Ukraine’s ability to defend itself in the future risks leading to another war. He emphasized that the U.S., Europe, Ukraine, and Russia must participate in future peace negotiations. His statements highlight that Putin’s unwillingness to engage in talks remains the real obstacle to ending the war, despite the Russian leader’s recent false attempts to blame Zelensky and Ukraine.
Zelensky reminded that the Ukrainian constitution prohibits elections during wartime. He questioned how soldiers, citizens living in Russian-occupied territories, or refugees abroad would be able to vote before the government lifts martial law. Ukraine will “definitely” hold elections after the war ends, but for now, it must focus on defending itself from Russian aggression. Putin and other Kremlin officials have repeatedly claimed that Zelensky is an illegitimate president after Ukraine did not hold elections in 2024.
Former Ukrainian MP Viktor Medvedchuk wrote in a February 4 article that Russia must reclaim so-called “historical lands.” He also published a map depicting all Ukrainian territory east of the Lviv, Ternopil, and Chernivtsi regions as part of Russia. Medvedchuk claimed that Western support for Ukraine is solely aimed at collapsing Russia from within and labeled Ukrainians as “modern barbarians” who must integrate into the Russian state. He denied Ukraine’s historical legitimacy, repeating Kremlin propaganda to justify the war.
On February 4, Zelensky stated that Russian forces have suffered up to 350,000 combat fatalities and approximately 600,000 to 700,000 wounded since the war began in February 2022. Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on January 20 that Russian forces had suffered over 434,000 casualties in 2024 alone. The data suggests that the Russian military has lost up to 48% of its total casualties in Ukraine in just 2024. Up to 70,000 Russian soldiers have been reported missing since February 2022.
