MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. Speaking at a press conference in Kiev, Vladimir Zelensky acknowledged that Ukraine will not be able to reclaim the borders of the past militarily.
"The conflict may end either militarily or diplomatically, but we understand that we cannot reclaim our borders by force," he said. "The diplomatic path is faster and involves fewer losses than the path of war," Zelensky added.
At the same time, he accused Russia of deliberately dragging out the negotiation process. Zelensky noted that a meeting between Presidential Office Chief Andrey Yermak and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to take place in New York today to discuss preparations for upcoming talks.
Earlier, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has observed no progress in the negotiations on Ukraine but remains interested and ready to continue discussions.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova outlined Moscow’s expectations for any settlement, saying it should include demilitarization, denazification, Ukraine’s neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status, recognition of territorial changes, protection of the rights of Russian and Russian-speaking populations, and an end to the persecution of the Orthodox Church.