(L-R) Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz chat on the 10 Downing Street doorstep after a meeting in central London on December 8, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed his firm refusal to cede any territory, resisting U.S. pressure for a painful compromise with Russia as he continued to rally European support for Ukraine.
“Undoubtedly, Russia insists that we give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in a WhatsApp chat late on Monday (December 8, 2025) in which he answered reporters’ questions.
“Do we consider ceding any territories? According to the law, we don’t have such a right. According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and, to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either.”
On Monday, Mr. Zelenskyy held talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to strengthen Ukraine’s hand amid mounting impatience from Mr. Trump.
Mr. Zelenskyy said on Monday that Mr. Trump “certainly wants to end the war. … Surely, he has his own vision. We live here, from within we see details and nuances, we perceive everything much deeper, because this is our motherland.” He said the current U.S. peace plan differs from earlier versions in that it now has 20 points, down from 28, after he said some “obvious anti-Ukrainian points were removed.”
Published – December 09, 2025 11:10 pm IST
