Berliner Tageszeitung - Zelensky says 'unacceptable' to offer Russia concessions on Ukraine

Kyiv is scrambling to up the pressure on its allies for more support in its fight against Moscow following Donald Trump's victory in this week's US presidential election, which has raised doubts about future US assistance.

Trump has boasted he could end the conflict within hours and repeatedly criticised American aid to Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine cede swathes more territory in its east and south as a precondition to peace talks, while Kyiv has repeatedly ruled out giving up land in exchange for peace.

Ukraine and many in the West fear any settlement that rewards Putin would embolden the Kremlin leader and lead to more aggression.

- Zelensky rejects 'concessions' -

Speaking to European leaders at a summit in Hungary, Zelensky blasted those who were pressuring him to give in to some of Putin's hardline demands.

"There has been much talk about the need to yield to Putin, to back down, to make some concessions," Zelensky said in an address.

"It's unacceptable for Ukraine and unacceptable for all Europe," he added.

Zelensky also dismissed as "dangerous" and "irresponsible" Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban's call for a "ceasefire" on the battlefield.

Orban, the EU leader with the warmest relations with the Kremlin, earlier said a truce could "provide room and time for the warring parties to have communication and to start to negotiate about peace".

Zelensky also accused some European leaders, without specifying which ones, of "strongly" pushing Ukraine to compromise.

"We need sufficient weapons, not support in talks. Hugs with Putin won't help. Some of you have been hugging him for 20 years, and things are only getting worse," said Zelensky.

He revealed however that he had discussed "military assistance" with French President Emmanuel Macron in Budapest.

- Russia urges negotiations -

Russia earlier demanded that Kyiv's allies enter into negotiations with Moscow if they want to halt the attacks on Ukrainians.

The head of Russia's Security Council Sergei Shoigu said the West faced a choice between opening direct talks with Moscow or the continuing "destruction" of Ukraine's population.

"Now, when the situation in the theatre of combat is not in Kyiv's favour, the West is faced with a choice," Shoigu said at a meeting with defence officials of other former Soviet states.

"To continue financing (Kyiv) and the destruction of the Ukrainian population or recognise the current realities and start negotiating," the former defence minister said.

They were among the first comments from a Russian official since Trump was confirmed to have been elected president of the United States.

- Russian advances -

Zelensky urged caution over Trump's claim to be able to end the conflict within a matter of hours.

"Today I believe that President Trump truly wants a quick solution. But that doesn't mean it will happen," he told reporters in Budapest.

The Ukrainian leader said a quick deal could mean "losses" for Kyiv.

In remarks at the Valdai forum in Sochi meanwhile, Putin repeated that Moscow was open for talks, but said parties to them must recognise the "realities of today".

Russian officials have repeatedly used such language to refer to Moscow's military control of swathes of Ukrainian territory seized throughout the invasion.

Putin said any initiative put forward by Trump would warrant attention, as he praised the President-elect as a "courageous" man.

He congratulated Trump on his election victory and said he was "ready" to hold talks with him.

Trump said he too was also prepared for some kind of conversation.

"I think we'll speak," he told NBC News in an interview.

- Zaporizhzhia strikes -

Zelensky has previously said that without US aid, Ukraine would lose the war.

His outmanned and outgunned army is already on the back foot in the eastern Donbas region, where Russian forces have been slowly advancing for months.

Moscow said on Thursday its forces had seized control of Kreminna Balka, a village that had a pre-war population of fewer than 50 people, in the industrial Donetsk region where Ukrainian defences have been repeatedly pushed back.

Russian strikes meanwhile on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, including on a hospital and residential buildings, killed at least four people on Thursday.

Another 40 people, including at least four children, were wounded, Ukraine's emergency services said.

Footage published by officials showed emergency workers pulling victims from the debris, as they held back locals from trying to reach the remnants of one building, reduced to a pile of rubble.

Ukrainian media reported that Donetsk region authorities were preparing to announce mandatory evacuations from seven more villages in that region, which the Kremlin claimed in 2022 was part of Russia.

Two people were killed in shelling there on Thursday, the local governor reported.

S. Sokolow--BTZ