Zelenskyy: Ukraine preparing to restore its territorial integrity

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a stalemate in the war with Russia was "not an option for us" as he once more appealed for western military support to restore his country's territorial integrity, Report informs, citing Financial Times.

"We are inferior in terms of equipment, and therefore we are not capable of advancing. We are going to suffer more losses, and people are my priority," he said.

Speaking to Financial Times editor Roula Khalaf at the FT's Global Boardroom conference, Zelenskyy said pushing Russian forces back to positions occupied before the February 24 invasion would amount to a "serious temporary victory" for Ukraine, but full sovereignty over its territory remained his ultimate goal.

Zelenskyy said that "victory must be achieved on the battlefield". But he also insisted he was open to peace talks despite atrocities committed by Russian troops during their 100-day onslaught. Any war should be ended at the negotiating table, he said. However, peace negotiations would have to be face to face with President Vladimir Putin because there was "nobody else to talk to" but the Russian leader.

Zelenskyy said that while some western sanctions had already dealt a severe blow to the Russian economy, they "have not really influenced the Russian position".