Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky once again called on Russian President Vladimir Putin for dialogue, stressing that Ukraine is ready to talk and seek compromise, but is not ready to capitulate.
In an interview with the American TV channel ABC News, responding to a question about whether Ukraine is ready to go along with Russian demands for a cease-fire: to change the constitution and refuse to join NATO; to recognize Crimea as Russian; to recognize the independence of the so-called "L/DPR," Zelensky said: "First of all, I am ready for dialogue, but we are not ready for surrender."
"Because it's not about me, it's about the people who elected me. Regarding NATO, I cooled down on this issue after we realized that NATO was not ready to accept Ukraine. The Alliance is afraid of contradictory things and confrontation with Russia," the president added.
He also noted that Ukraine does not want to be a country that is "asking for something on its knees, and we're not going to be that country, I don't want to be that president."
"I'm talking about security guarantees. I think that the points about temporarily occupied territories and unrecognized republics, which are not recognized by anyone but the Russian Federation, we can discuss and find a compromise," Zelensky said.
At the same time, he stressed that the key issue is how people in these territories will live, who want to be part of Ukraine.
"What should be done - Putin should start talking, start a dialogue, instead of living in an information balloon without oxygen. I think that's where he is," he said.
