Ukraine will reclaim territories from the Russian occupiers when it gets enough weapons. There is also hope that we will be able to liberate some parts diplomatically as well.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with CNN.
"We will fight for every scrap of our territory. We may not get everything back all at once, that's understandable. Some things are coming back to the battlefield. We need to be technically secured to do that. When we are technically secured, we will de-occupy our territories, but some territories, I guess I would like to believe that, we will get back the diplomatic way. The diplomatic way is less casualties, but it's more time. Maybe so," Zelensky noted.
The head of state stressed that Ukrainians are not ready to give up their territories and recognize these territories as part of the Russian Federation.
"This is our land, we always talk about it and we are going to prove it," Zelensky responded to a question about his willingness to give Russia part of the territory in exchange for peace.
Also in the interview, Volodymyr Zelensky noted that the Russian occupiers seized key towns in the Luhansk region. There is nothing left in them after the enemy, except ruins.
"They (the occupants - ed.) control almost the entire Luhansk region. There are battles in the outskirts of Luhansk oblast. That's exactly how it happens," Zelensky said.
He stressed that if our troops had not retreated from Lysychansk and Severodonetsk, there could have been a cauldron.
"These are the main cities. There are almost no people there. Somewhere around 10 percent remained, and how many percent are alive - I can't say. We evacuated everyone we could and who wanted to. So we can say that they control the majority, almost all of Luhansk region. They destroyed cities, schools, people, people ran away. They are now occupiers of the ruins. That's the result," the president summed up.
Now the situation on the fronts across Ukraine is different. However, the most difficult direction now is in the Donbas, where Russia counts neither its weapons nor losses.
"The situation in the east is very difficult for us. We have a different situation all over the country, but the most difficult exactly in the Donbass. They (the occupiers - ed.) have more artillery, MLRS, casualties, but they do not count as not count equipment, and do not count losses, and we count first of all our people, because our people - our weapons", - said Zelensky.
He stressed that the enemy did not have such an advantage in equipment, first of all in artillery, Ukraine always turns to its partners for help.
"As for the south, the situation is a little easier there, because we contain it, and in some cases we counterattack," Zelensky noted.
According to him, if we talk about the Kharkiv direction, the whole region has been liberated there, but nevertheless, it is not easy there, because the occupants have left their groups there.
"But in general it is necessary to stabilize the situation in the east," the president stressed.
Also Volodymyr Zelensky responding to questions from a journalist, noted that Russia is not giving up its plans to occupy the entire territory of Ukraine. These are their plans within the aggressor state and they have been unchanged for many years.
"I believe that they (the occupiers - ed.) as a whole, in the middle of their state and within their military and political plans have not abandoned the occupation of our state and have not abandoned for many years. This is their plan, they have always occupied our state. First politically, then it was Crimea, then Donbass, and now a full-scale invasion. Therefore, Russia's plans include changing the political leadership and occupying the entire country, we are absolutely sure of it," Zelensky said.
US President Joe Biden's visit to Kiev would be important for Ukraine. It would be an excellent signal of support for Ukrainians against the background of a high trust rating in Washington.
Vladimir Zelensky told this in an interview with CNN .
"We would love to have Biden in Ukraine and I heard that he was in favor. But there are some security issues regarding his security processes. I think it would help Ukrainians first and foremost. Ukrainians support the United States and the trust rating of Ukrainians in the United States is very high," the president said.
As the president noted, the arrival of leaders of countries that support Ukraine is an excellent signal that they are not afraid of Russia.
"Despite the fact that missiles come, they come, they are not afraid of Putin, because it is one leader of one state, and the world is much bigger. That's why we support such signals, if Biden can come, we're all for it. He would get a sense of gratitude and support from the Ukrainian people," the president added.
