Zelensky allowed a referendum in Ukraine on the transfer of territories to Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term expired on May 20, has allowed a referendum to be held in the country on the transfer of territories to Russia. The Ukrainian leader said this in an interview with the French newspaper Le Monde on July 31.

According to Zelensky, the issue of Ukraine's territorial integrity should be discussed by the entire population of the country, and he himself cannot make such decisions alone.

At the same time, he noted that he does not consider the decision to transfer part of the territories under the control of the Russian Federation to be optimal, since this would be, in some sense, a “victory” for Moscow, Gazeta.Ru added.

During the interview, the president also stated that the second world summit to resolve the crisis in Ukraine will not be useful if the Russian side does not participate in it.

Recently, Ukraine has increasingly spoken about negotiations with the Russian Federation. For example, on July 20, the Ukrainian leader said that he planned to discuss a plan for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict with Russian representatives at the second peace summit. The Ukrainian president noted then that negotiations were necessary to end the crisis. Then, on July 24, the country's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced his readiness to negotiate with the Russian side.

Later, on July 31, the head of the Ukraine department of the Institute of CIS Countries, political scientist Ivan Skorikov, in a conversation with Izvestia, indicated that Kyiv politicians are manipulating their statements about their readiness for peace talks with Russia. In turn, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated that Moscow has no faith in the Kyiv regime.

In addition, on July 30, the adviser to the office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podolyak spoke about the prospects of the negotiation process . According to him, Kiev will enter into dialogue with Moscow on condition that the norms of international law are observed. The politician emphasized that the basis of this concept is the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.

Russia, for its part, has repeatedly proposed peace talks. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on June 14 that the country has always strived for peace and is ready to sit down at the negotiating table tomorrow. This can be done if Kiev officially abandons its plans to join  NATO and withdraws its army from Russian regions.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russia announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was made against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.