Zelensky's serious warning for Europe: Remember what Putin did to Crime

US President Donald Trump, who in August passed from the ceasefire request to push for a final peace agreement after meeting Putin, said Zelensky could end the war “almost immediately, if he wants to task for”.

But he added that for Ukraine, there were no “turning” of the Crimea, suggesting Kiev might have to make territorial concessions in exchange for peace. Zelensky repeatedly rejected such ideas.

Some media claim that if Ukrainian soldiers leave the eastern regions of our country, peace would return there. But that is not true”, he said in an interview with the French magazine Le Point.

“Putin took over the Crimea to use it as the basis for surrounding south. In 2014, he seized a portion of his birth to prepare for the full invasion of those” regions, he added.

He added that a withdrawal from Donbas would leave Kharkivin, a town of 1.5 million people, exposed and could allow Russia to invade the Dnipro industrial centre.

This would open up new opportunities for him to”, Zelensky said.

The president stressed that Ukraine's survival will determine where Europe's eastern border lies.

“If Ukraine does not resist, that limit will be Poland or even Germany”, he said.

Zelensky also warned that new weapons technology makes the distance meaningless.

Believe me, within two years the Russians will have plenty of rockets and we will have an action ray of 5,000 miles. The sea will not protect anyone, the ocean will not protect anyone”, he said.

His comments came as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow is still seeking international recognition, which parts of annexed Ukraine and occupied by Moscow forces belong to Russia.

Russia claims to have annexed five Ukrainian regions -- Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizia -- as well as the Crimean Peninsula, conquered in 2014.

For a lasting peace, the new territorial realities that were born should be recognised and formalised in accordance with international law”, Lavrov said in comments published by Moscow.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Syhbira sharply criticised Moscow for delaying what he called the old “ulmate.

He said Russia “has not changed its aggressive goals and does not show signs of readiness for meaningful negotiations”, urging the West of “gode Russia's war machine with new severe sanctions and calm Moscow”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he would continue to fight if a peace deal cannot be reached. Speaking in Beijing after taking part in a military parade with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and North Korea's Kim Jong Un, Putin praised his forces' advances, claiming they were making progress “on all fronts” and weakened Ukraine's army.

If there is no peace agreement, then we will have to resolve all our military tasks”, he said.

Zelensky, who arrived in Paris that day for talks with European allies, said he saw no signs that Moscow is serious about ending the war.

European leaders are working on security guarantees and are considering a peacekeeping force to protect Ukraine if an agreement is reached.

Earlier, Zelensky suggested Ukraine could face a scenario similar to South Korea, which flourished after the Korean War despite lack of a peace treaty.