Yermak, responding to a question about the likelihood of a territorial compromise with the Russian Federation in exchange for "reliable protection" from allies, emphasized that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has never mentioned this.
He noted that the president was indeed prepared for negotiations with the Russian Federation if the occupying forces withdrew to their positions as of February 24, 2022, but Crimea and Donbas "remain Ukrainian, and they are not subject to discussion."
Ukraine is opposed to freezing the war and wants it to come to an end, Yermak added.
"We are encouraged by the fact that countries of the Global South also condemn the Russian invasion and the forceful seizure of territories. However, to initiate negotiations, we must return to the situation that existed before the first shot of the Russian cannon at 4:00 AM two years ago. Then we will talk about how to restore our sovereignty to the borders of 1991," Yermak concluded.