Zelenskyy vows no compromise with Russia “Only Ukrainians can decide their future”

Ukraine needs a just peace and will not make compromises with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation on Independence Day.

Zelenskyy noted that "only Ukrainians can make a decision on the future of their country," Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

The head of state recorded his address from the centre of Kyiv—on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, which for Ukrainians is more than just the main square of the country. It is a symbol of independence, a place where history is made.

Zelenskyy also drew attention to the “Zero Kilometre” marker, which shows the distances to Ukrainian cities, including Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea.

“And today, these markers carry a completely different meaning. They are no longer just about kilometres. They remind us that all of this is Ukraine. And there are our people, and no distance between us can change that, and no temporary occupation can change that. And one day, this distance between Ukrainians will disappear, and we will be together again as one family, as one country. It is only a matter of time,” he said.

The president thanked soldiers, volunteers, doctors, rescuers, teachers, young people, and other Ukrainians.

Zelenskyy emphasised that Ukraine has changed—it no longer waits for gestures of goodwill but has its own will.

“And such a Ukraine will never again in history be forced into the shame that the ‘Russians’ call a ‘compromise.’ We need a just peace. Only we can decide what our future will be. And the world knows this. And the world respects it. Respects Ukraine. Treats Ukraine as an equal,” the president noted.

The head of state added that Ukraine can, within a day, gather and unite world leaders around itself, restore the unity of Europe and the U.S., and become the foundation of this alliance.

“That is why Ukraine is heard, Ukraine is considered, Ukraine is listened to. Its place is at the table; it is not told, ‘Wait outside.’ It is told, ‘Only you decide,’” Zelenskyy emphasised.