The fate of Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories was discussed with the U.S. during the talks in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on March 14.
Zelensky's comments come days after Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire put forth by the U.S. during the negotiations in Jeddah. Russian President Vladimir Putin placed demands in order to begin talks on a possible ceasefire that included guarantees to not mobilize or train new troops, nor receive military aid during from the West.
Previously, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Ukraine-U.S. talks included discussions about potential "territorial concessions" as part of a negotiated settlement with Russia.
According to Zelensky, discussions of the territories were not part of the meeting's agenda. He reiterated that Ukraine will not recognize any occupied territories as part of Russia under a potential future peace agreement with Moscow.
"The American side goes into details. For example, the city of Enerhodar... You can't just say: here's the (Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power) Plant, and the city is separate. I believe that the issue of territories is the most difficult one after the issue of establishing a ceasefire," Zelensky said.
Control over the nuclear plant in occupied Enerhodar was discussed during U.S.-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Donald Trump said.
The largest nuclear plant in Europe, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar, has been under Russian occupation since 2022. While the facility remains under Russian control, it is not currently generating electricity.
Ukraine and its allies have repeatedly urged Russia to withdraw its troops from the plant. Throughout its occupation, the plant has been repeatedly disconnected from the Ukrainian power grid due to Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure.
Russian forces currently occupy roughly 20% of Ukraine, from where reports of systematic repression, torture, and forced deportations regularly emerge.
Oleg Sukhov
(Updated: )
