Ukraine Won't Give Up Territory in Ceasefire Deal With Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky Reveals Only Way to End War

Ukraine's chief negotiator has ruled out any ceasefire agreement in which Kyiv cedes territory to Russia or allows Russian soldiers to remain on Ukrainian territory.

The Ukrainian government has stated that it does not agree to a ceasefire agreement with Russia, including the abandonment of territory. Ukraine's position was solidified the day after President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the war could only be resolved by diplomacy.

Zelensky: War Will End in Diplomacy

Mykhaylo Podolyak, a presidential adviser, predicted such concessions would result in a greater and bloodier Russian attack. His statement comes as Russia continues attempts to encircle Ukrainian forces defending Severodonetsk in the east.

In other news, Polish President Andrzej Duda has made history by becoming the first foreign leader to address the Ukrainian parliament in person. He got overwhelming applause as he pronounced that main Ukrainians themselves could choose their future.

However, France's Europe Minister, Clément Beaune, said in a radio interview on Sunday that it would probably take 15 or 20 years for Ukraine to be accepted as an EU member. As the fighting continued, the Ukrainian militia's final staff claimed in a daily briefing that Russian forces were attempting to breach Ukrainian defenses to reach the executive boundaries of the country's easternmost Luhansk province.

Part Western countries are calling for a ceasefire that would allow Russian soldiers to stay in some of the lands they have captured in Ukraine's south and east since Moscow invaded the country on February 24. On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi urged the Senate that a ceasefire must be reached as quickly as possible, according to BBC.

Russia Experiences Military Setbacks

According to military analysts, Russian forces are seeking to encircle the vital city to gain control of the whole region. On Saturday, the Russian military demolished a bridge leading into Severodonetsk, making it more difficult to evacuate civilians and get supplies in.

Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the area, stated on Sunday that if another bridge is destroyed, the city will be completely shut off. He said about 10,000 people remain in Severodonetsk, which had a prewar population of more than 100,000 - and most are almost constantly in bomb shelters.

Russian soldiers have concentrated their efforts in the eastern Luhansk region on encircling Severodonetsk, one of the remaining major cities under Ukrainian control. Russia is seeking to retake control of the Donbas area, which includes the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, as per the Washington Post via MSN.

Russia ramped up its onslaught in the eastern and southern areas of the nation, slamming the Donbas and Mykolaiv regions with airstrikes and artillery fire. Ukraine ruled out a ceasefire or any territorial concessions to Moscow.

In recent weeks, Kyiv's attitude has hardened as Russia has suffered military losses and Ukrainian leaders have grown concerned that they may be pressed to give up land in exchange for a peace settlement. In a tweet on Sunday, Ukraine's presidential chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, stated, "The war must end with the complete restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty."

On Sunday, Polish President Andrzej Duda told parliamentarians in Kyiv that the international community must demand Russia's total withdrawal and that surrendering any land would be a "great blow" to the whole Western part. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated his call for tougher economic penalties on Russia during the same parliamentary session, Reuters reported.