Zelensky stated that Ukraine lacks the strength to reclaim Crimea and Eastern Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine currently lacks the strength to reclaim the temporarily occupied Crimea and parts of the east, which Russia "physically" controls. However, the West can influence Russian leader Vladimir Putin to bring him to the negotiating table.

He made this remark during an online interaction with readers of Le Parisien, responding to a question about whether Ukraine could "temporarily" give up Crimea and parts of Eastern Ukraine.

The president emphasized that legally, Ukraine cannot abandon its territories.

"This is prohibited by the Constitution of Ukraine. And what are these loud words for, if physically they control part of our territories today? Unfortunately, we do not. If we currently lack the strength to reclaim all our territories, the West may have the power to put Putin in his place at the negotiating table and resolve this war diplomatically,” explained Volodymyr Zelensky, highlighting that “we will not legally recognize the occupied territories.”

According to him, this is not a compromise. “This means simply forgiving him [Vladimir Putin] for everything. And that is impossible,” said the president.

“Diplomacy does not mean legitimizing Putin's occupation as something lawful on his part. It is a way to end the war, diplomatically. And we need a strong America and a strong Europe to make Putin conclude the war diplomatically,” the president stated.

In November, Zelensky asserted that Ukraine cannot afford to lose tens of thousands of people to reclaim Crimea; it can be returned through diplomatic means.

Recall that on December 3, 2024, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that the government decided to rename the Ministry for the Reintegration of Temporary Occupied Territories to the Ministry of National Unity of Ukraine.

On December 3, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Olexiy Chernyshov as Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of National Unity of Ukraine, with 237 votes.

Advocacy Director of the ZMINA Human Rights Center Alena Luneva believes that national unity should not only concern those who have gone abroad but also those who, due to Russian aggression, have lost connections with their homeland – the residents of temporarily occupied territories and people affected by the war.

“We have advocated and continue to insist on the necessity of maintaining a ministry within the government responsible for those affected by the war, regardless of where they are: in the temporarily occupied territories, free areas of Ukraine, or abroad. We discussed this in October 2019 during the Unity Forum in Mariupol. The focus should be on policies aimed at protecting people, supporting, and strengthening ties with our citizens,” noted the human rights advocate, adding that the human rights community expects the powers of the Ministry of National Unity.