Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during a meeting with media representatives together with Prime Minister of Portugal Luís Montenegro.

The President’s words were published on December 20 on his channel.

“putin started this war and is prolonging it not only for our Donbas, but in order to remove peoples from making decisions about the fate of countries. He wants to decide everything himself.

Personally or together with his friends — people like him. Russia’s war against Ukraine has always been and remains a war about something more than just Ukraine’s land.

That is precisely why Russia will never be satisfied with any particular piece of territory if someone gives it something.

We must protect the fundamental principles of Europe and normal life of nations: independence, sovereignty, and democracy.

And all this must be reflected in an agreement to end the war. This is exactly how we are working with our partners, preparing the agreement — carefully working on every point and every step, in order to obtain not a ‘backroom deal’ on dividing territories and resources, but an agreement on a stable and lasting peace and reliable security guarantees.

This is our goal, and I am grateful to everyone who helps to achieve it”, — Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated.