Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaffirmed his refusal to surrender territory to Russia while seeking European backing amid growing U.S. pressure for compromise.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed that Ukraine will not give up any of its territory to Russia, even as the United States presses Kyiv to accept concessions as part of a new peace plan. Speaking to reporters in a WhatsApp exchange late Monday, Zelenskyy said that while “the Americans are looking for a compromise today,” Ukraine “clearly doesn’t want to give up anything.”
“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories,” Zelenskyy said. “According to the law we don’t have such right. According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either.”
The Ukrainian leader made his comments as he met Tuesday morning with Pope Leo XIV at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, before scheduled talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The Vatican said the pope “reiterated the need for the continuation of dialogue and expressed his urgent desire that the current diplomatic initiatives bring about a just and lasting peace.”
The Holy See has maintained neutrality in the conflict, offering humanitarian aid and describing Ukraine as a “martyred nation.” Pope Leo, who has met three times with Zelenskyy and once with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone, has called for a ceasefire and urged Moscow to make visible steps toward peace.
Zelenskyy’s European tour included a round of meetings in London on Monday with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The talks focused on strengthening Ukraine’s negotiating position as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for a swift end to the conflict.
U.S. and Ukrainian officials wrapped up three days of talks over the weekend on Washington’s latest peace proposal. The plan, reduced from 28 points to 20 after Kyiv’s objections, reportedly includes a provision requiring Ukraine to cede control of the Donbas region—territory Russia currently occupies in part but claims in full.
Trump told reporters that Zelenskyy “hasn’t yet read the proposal,” but has continued to argue that the United States cannot justify indefinite spending on the war. The president has said Ukraine should consider territorial concessions “to stop the killing” and end the war.
Zelenskyy rejected that idea outright. “Surely, [Trump] wants to end the war. … Surely, he has his own vision,” Zelenskyy said. “We live here, from within we see details and nuances, we perceive everything much deeper, because this is our motherland.”
European leaders have strongly backed Ukraine’s resistance to any territorial compromise. Starmer called the effort to secure peace a “critical stage” requiring a “just and lasting ceasefire,” while Macron and Merz expressed unease over aspects of the American plan. “We have to talk about it,” Merz said. “The coming days … could be a decisive time for all of us.”
European officials are also pushing for binding security guarantees from both Europe and the United States to ensure Russia cannot launch future attacks. The Trump administration has not publicly detailed any such commitments.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Russia’s forces continue to advance slowly while intensifying drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 110 drones overnight, 84 of which were intercepted, while 24 hit their targets. Rolling blackouts were reported Tuesday in multiple regions as Ukraine’s power operator, Ukrenergo, worked to repair damage from prior strikes.
Ukraine, in turn, launched its own wave of drone attacks on Russian territory. Moscow’s Ministry of Defense said it destroyed 121 Ukrainian drones across several regions and occupied Crimea. In Chuvashia, nearly 900 kilometers northeast of the border, one attack injured nine people and damaged residential buildings, according to regional governor Oleg Nikolayev.
Separately, Ukraine’s Security Service struck an LPG terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Dec. 5, setting off a massive fire that engulfed more than 20 storage tanks at the Temryuk port facility, according to an official familiar with the operation. The blaze burned for three days, damaging railway tank cars and critical refueling infrastructure.
Zelenskyy’s message—delivered from Rome to London and beyond—remains unchanged: Ukraine will not trade territory for peace. “We have no right, legal or moral, to surrender our land,” he said. “This is our home, and we will defend it.”
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