Zelensky refuses to give up land to Russia: ‘What we are fighting for’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was adamant Monday that Kyiv would not cede territory to Russia — a central demand Moscow has pushed and one that appears in the latest draft of the US-negotiated proposal to end the war in Ukraine.

“We have no right to give anything away — not under our laws, not under international law, not under moral law,” Zelensky told reporters on Monday. “Russia is, of course, insisting that we give up territory. We, of course, do not want to give up anything — that is precisely what we are fighting for, as you are well aware.”

“To be honest, the Americans are looking for a compromise today,” he added.

The current draft proposal includes 20 points — whittled down from the 28-point proposal blasted as a Kremlin-friendly wishlist straight out of Vladimir Putin’s desk drawer and up from a pre-Moscow meeting 19-point plan — and has been scrubbed of what Zelensky called its most “anti-Ukrainian” pieces.

The new version shows Kyiv is willing to talk, he said — while still stressing that surrendering land was off the table as he addressed Ukrainian reporters following a meeting in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“Not everything our partners came back with is to our liking,” he said of the latest plan developed after last week’s US-Russia meeting at the Kremlin. “Although that is less a question for the Americans and more a question for the Russians. But we will definitely work on it.”

But other tough issues — such as funding and security guarantees — remain wide open.

The US remains the only country capable of providing security guarantees that matter, Zelensky said — adding that he won’t accept another toothless agreement like the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which pledged the US would protect Ukraine from Russian invasion after it gave up its nuclear arsenal.

“The strongest security guarantees we can receive are from the United States — provided that they are not another Budapest Memorandum or empty promises — but legally binding commitments approved by the US Congress,” he said. “That is what we are discussing, and so far they are responding positively to this approach.”

But the US wants to see Europe step up more — as Zelensky noted the continent has yet to answer what actions, if any, it would take if Russia restarts its aggression after a ceasefire.

“As for European security guarantees, this is the Coalition of the Willing. In principle, they are already prepared. You have seen their substance,” he said, referring to the vague pact of 34 countries that pledge to be part of a peacekeeping force to be deployed on Ukrainian territory should the war end.

“Once again, I want to emphasize that the key issue is what partners will be prepared to do in the event of renewed Russian aggression. So far, I have not yet received an answer to that,” he added.

Pressed about trust in Washington, Zelensky said America remains a “strong partner,” and that President Trump “definitely wants to put an end to the war” — but has his own vision for doing it.

“I can clearly see that they want the war to end,” he said. “This is not a game on the part of the US.”

Zelensky singled out Trump adviser Jared Kushner as “working hard” with Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff, but emphasized that Ukrainians — facing electricity blackouts and exhaustion — feel the stakes far more deeply.

“Everyone wants the war to end, but for us, it’s important how — on what basis — so that there’s no risk of the war repeating, because we don’t trust Russia. That’s it,” he said. “It’s in these details— they are not trivial for us, and that’s why we want an answer to every single one of these details.”

Meanwhile, Ukraine is counting on Europe to finally unlock tens of billions in frozen Russian assets — whether through a reparations loan or another workaround — to fund reconstruction and keep weapons flowing.

“Ukraine will not manage without this money,” Zelensky said, adding that some EU countries still need convincing.

He also rejected the idea of the US stepping back from negotiations but continuing to sell weapons through the Pentagon’s PURL initiative, which Europeans rely on to buy American systems they lack.

“That would not be acceptable,” he said.

He also confirmed that senators in Washington are advancing legislation on Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children — an issue he said is included in the updated 20-point US framework, along with the exchange of all prisoners of war.

After Trump on Monday alleged Zelensky hadn’t read the updated draft, the Ukrainian president said he would “do everything possible” to provide the US his official view of the 20-point plan on Tuesday night.

Until then, Zelensky is meeting with European leaders to “discuss a reparations loan and security guarantees” — the two tracks he insisted must move in lockstep for any peace deal to hold.