Mr Zelensky said in a video address to the Ukrainian people late Sunday that his government would prioritize Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” in talks in Istanbul. However, in comments to Russian journalists earlier in the day, Mr Zelensky took a different stance, saying Ukraine was willing to take a neutral stance and compromise on the status of the eastern Donbass region as part of a peace deal. “Guarantees of security and neutrality, non-nuclear status of our state. We are ready to achieve that,” he added, speaking in Russian, adding that third parties must be guaranteed and put to a referendum. Even with the talks approaching, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Kyrylo Budanov, has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is aiming to occupy the eastern part of Ukraine. “In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine,” he said, referring to the division of Korea after World War II.
