Zelensky believes he will conclude peace agreement with Putin and Russia will return Donbass and Crimea

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that he will be able to conclude a peace agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the return of Ukraine's territories, including the Crimea. Zelensky stated this during an interview for the BBC's HARDtalk program with Stephen Sackur in the UK.

When asked whether he believes that he will be able to conclude a peace agreement with head of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, which will return the occupied territories to Ukraine, including the Crimea, he answered in the affirmative.

"I believe in this. Otherwise, I would not go to the presidency of Ukraine. It is quite difficult, and we need the help of the whole world here, it is true. But I do not despond", - Volodymyr Zelensky noted.

The head of state also said that he "does not cling to power". "I said at once that I do not cling to ratings or power. If I cannot end the war, then another person, who is able to end this tragic story between our countries, should come", - V.Zelensky said.

According to him, Ukraine continues to follow the Minsk direction, but "Minsk should be a little more flexible".

Zelensky noted that the law on the special status of Donbass, stated by Putin, is a change in the Constitution in accordance with decentralization, "but the changes to the Constitution, the ones they want, are impossible today". At the same time, the head of state ruled out the possibility of elections in the occupied Donbass before the transfer of control over the border with Russia to Ukraine.

"The transfer of the border to the Ukrainian authorities after the elections is wrong. We cannot ensure elections there. None of the observers will come. Who will come to that part and hold elections there, if there are armed people there", - Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.