ANKARA

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Tuesday underscored the importance of his country’s territorial integrity and reiterated Ukraine’s demand for security guarantees during an official visit to Türkiye.

“As a country, we want peace; we want the war to end. However, we want the end of this war to be based on certain security guarantees.

“We expect these security guarantees to be provided by the US, the EU, Türkiye, and all of Europe,” Zelensky said, speaking at the opening ceremony of Ukraine’s new Embassy building in Ankara.

“If Türkiye can provide Ukraine with the necessary security guarantees, we would like to see Türkiye involved in this process as well,” he said.

He stressed that Ukraine will never compromise on its territorial integrity or sovereignty, asserting that he cannot act against the Ukrainian Constitution.

“We will never, under any circumstances, recognize our temporarily occupied territories as part of Russia. They are part of Ukraine,” he declared.

Zelensky also reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to reclaiming its occupied territories through diplomacy, stressing: “Because we do not want to lose our people – our people are our greatest treasure.”

He added that these issues would also be discussed during his meeting with President ErdoÄŸan.

His visit comes just shy of the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine war, and as reports of possible negotiations to end the war are making waves in Europe and worldwide.

 Türkiye’s role in mediation and humanitarian efforts

Zelensky said that during his current visit he had held result-oriented discussions with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, acknowledging Türkiye’s significant role as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine war.

He particularly highlighted Türkiye’s efforts in facilitating prisoner exchanges and ensuring food security, including the 2022 grain corridor deal

“Bringing Ukrainians back home” remains a crucial issue for Ukraine, he noted, while also thanking Türkiye for helping to establish a food corridor that allowed shipments of Ukrainian grain to reach those in need.

“Thanks to Türkiye’s efforts, we were able to establish a food corridor. However, due to Russia, this corridor was disrupted, and people around the world, especially those in need, could not access these products,” he said.

Zelensky expressed appreciation for all countries working to maintain food security, highlighting shipments of Ukrainian grain to both African nations and Syria.

 Symbolic embassy opening

The Ukrainian president described the inauguration of the new embassy building as “highly symbolic,” noting the presence of representatives from Ukraine and the diaspora of Crimean Tatars, a group whose oppression since Russia’s 2014 takeover of Crimea has been decried by Türkiye.

He emphasized that the project had his full support from its inception and praised the contributions of Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s foreign minister and a former ambassador to Ankara.

As part of Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts, Zelensky also announced the appointment of Neriman Celal as Ukraine’s new ambassador to Ankara.

Diplomacy to end war

Zelensky said that there was no diplomacy at the start of the war and told how that Russia later set conditions while Ukraine was excluded from the negotiations between Moscow and Washington.

He stressed that even in its most difficult times, Ukraine had never accepted ultimatums.

Zelensky said that in negotiations with the Russian side in Türkiye and Belarus, “we made no agreements,” adding: “We did not accept ultimatums in the past, and we will not accept them now.”

Reiterating Ukraine’s commitment to diplomacy as a means of resolving the war, Zelensky called on all mediators, including Russian, American, and European actors, to engage in meaningful dialogue.

However, he made clear that Ukraine will not accept any outcome that compromises its territorial integrity or sovereignty.

Ukraine recognizes the Crimean Tatars as an indigenous people of Ukraine, he affirmed, further highlighting Kyiv’s firm stance on reclaiming occupied territories through diplomatic means while maintaining a strong commitment to national sovereignty.

 Prisoners in Crimea

Zelensky stated that efforts are ongoing to secure the release of political prisoners in Crimea, adding: “We are not alone in this process. Türkiye and Qatar are helping us in this regard. Of course, these processes are very difficult.”

Saying the process is not going as quickly as desired, he added: “Russia does not want to return our people, but we are still searching for ways to bring them back – and we are finding them.”

Zelensky also mentioned that he recently spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on the phone, highlighting that prisoner exchanges were not discussed in the ceasefire negotiations.

Saying that Russia does not want to end the war, Zelensky remarked: “If a ceasefire is being discussed, then first and foremost, people must be allowed to return.”

On Monday’s emergency meeting on Ukraine of EU leaders in Paris, Zelensky emphasized that Macron would present him with “certain proposals” following his discussions, and that these proposals would relate to security guarantees for Ukraine.

Support measures, including financial aid and military deployments, were also discussed, he said, adding that Macron would tell him which countries were prepared to send military units.