"There are compromises for which we cannot be ready as an independent state," he told CNN host Fareed Zakaria, speaking through an interpreter. "Any compromises related to our territorial integrity and our sovereignty .... [the] Ukrainian people have spoken about it. They have not greeted Russian soldiers with a bunch of flowers; they have greeted them with bravery, and they have greeted them with weapons in their hands."Octavious wrote: ↑Sun Mar 20, 2022 9:27 pmAn import interview with Zelensky by CNN:
"I'm ready for negotiations with him. I was ready for the last two years. And I think that without negotiations we cannot end this war," he told CNN's Fareed Zakaria.
"I think that we have to use any format, any chance in order to have a possibility of negotiating, possibility of talking to Putin. But if these attempts fail, that would mean that this is a third World War," he added.
What I take from this is that Zelensky is going to make a deal, and he's going to concede more than people expect. But his excuse, which he's getting in nice and early, is that he's doing it in order to prevent a third world war.
Thus the narrative becomes that Ukraine has sacrificed itself (or at least the eastern regions) in order to save the world. In other words, Ukraine believes it deserves the rest of the world expressing gratitude in the form of grants to rebuild what remains of Ukraine. Which, regardless of whether or not you believe that nonsense about world war 3, is probably fair enough.
Doesn't sound like the Ukrainian government's position has moved on this point (at least publicly).