麻豆影视

Skip to main content

Ukraine's Zelenskyy rules out talks if Russia holds referendums

Share

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that if Russia proceeded with referendums in occupied areas of his country on joining Russia, there could be no talks with Ukraine or its international allies.

Russian forces and their separatist allies now hold large swathes of territory in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region and in southern areas after launching what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation" into its neighbour鈥檚 territory. Officials in both areas have raised the possibility of holding referendums.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was holding fast to its position of yielding no territory to Russia.

"Our country's position remains what it always has been. We will give up nothing of what is ours," Zelenskyy said.

"If the occupiers proceed along the path of pseudo-referendums they will close for themselves any chance of talks with Ukraine and the free world, which the Russian side will clearly need at some point."

Russian and Ukrainian officials held several sessions of talks soon after Russian forces launched their invasion of Ukraine in February.

But little progress was made and no meetings have been held since late March, with each side blaming the other for the halt to contacts.

Russian forces hold most of Kherson region in southern Ukraine and officials in charge have suggested a referendum on joining Russia could be held within the coming weeks or months.

In Donbas, Russian proxies seized chunks of territory in 2014, held independence referendums and proclaimed "people's republics" in Luhansk and Donetsk regions. The Kremlin recognized the republics on the eve of the February invasion.

The governor of Luhansk region -- almost entirely under Russian control for several weeks -- suggested over the weekend that Russia was preparing for a new referendum in newly captured areas and was offering residents benefits for taking part.

(Reporting by Ronald Popeski; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Infectious disease physician Dr. Isaac Bogoch says whooping cough is most risky for unvaccinated infants, children and older people.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man鈥檚 best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.