Zelenskyy admits Ukraine cannot retake lost territories Blames West for lack of support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are unable to reclaim all the territories lost to Russia, citing heavy casualties and a lack of adequate support from Western allies.

“Today, we cannot regain all our territories. We think realistically: we cannot lose millions of people for the sake of a result that may not come,” Zelenskyy admitted in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, Caliber.Az reports.

He further expressed frustration with Ukraine’s allies, saying, “Unfortunately, the support provided by our partners is insufficient.”

Zelenskyy described the current battlefield situation for the AFU as “very difficult” and indicated that Kyiv is open to shifting its approach. “I believe that we are ready to move to the diplomatic path. Ukraine is ready for the end of the hot phase of the war,” he stated.

Ukraine’s stance on negotiations shifting

Kyiv had previously maintained that the conflict would continue until Ukraine regained its 1991 borders. However, amid mounting reports from Ukraine’s General Staff about heavy losses and worsening conditions on the front lines, this stance appears to be evolving.

In November 2024, Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskyy’s office, acknowledged for the first time that Ukraine could consider negotiations with Russia without demanding a complete withdrawal to its pre-1991 borders.

Zelenskyy reveals AFU losses

Zelenskyy also disclosed new casualty figures, stating that 45,100 Ukrainian troops have been killed in combat and that there have been approximately 390,000 cases of injuries.

“Regarding our losses: the exact figures are very important for us. 45.1 thousand people were killed, and about 390 thousand cases of wounds,” he told Morgan. “Let me clarify: the number of injuries is higher than the number of wounded, because there are people who were wounded and then returned to the battlefield and were wounded again.”

This number differs from previous reports. In February 2024, Zelenskyy claimed that 31,000 Ukrainian troops had died at the front. However, the Ukrainian publication Strana later reported that the General Staff of the AFU had provided the Supreme Commander-in-Chief with figures of 70,000 dead and 35,000 missing.

On December 8, Zelenskyy addressed US President Donald Trump’s claim that 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed, stating that Ukraine had lost 43,000 troops on the battlefield and that there had been 370,000 cases of assistance to the wounded.

No elections until war ends

The Ukrainian president also ruled out holding elections while the war continues, dismissing concerns about his legitimacy.

“I’ve always said I’m open to any election. But there can’t be elections during the war,” Zelenskyy told Morgan. “The constitution would have to be changed. [...] The hot stage will end, martial law will end, then elections will be held.”

He acknowledged that lifting martial law now would mean that “most of the army will return home to their families.”

The US has pushed for Ukraine’s presidential election to take place before the end of the year, especially if a ceasefire with Russia is reached. Keith Kellogg, the US president’s special envoy for Ukraine, recently stated that Washington wanted elections to proceed.

Ukraine was originally scheduled to hold presidential elections in March 2024. The government justified postponing them by citing martial law, but many legal experts have pointed out that while martial law extends the powers of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament), it does not automatically extend the term of the head of state. Zelenskyy’s official presidential mandate expired on May 20, 2024.

However, he has dismissed concerns about his legitimacy, stating that the issue does not worry him.

By Tamilla Hasanova