During the trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi, Russian representatives claimed that their troops had allegedly occupied half of that part of Donbas that actually remains under Ukraine's control. The American side, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirmed the Ukrainian assessment of the situation on the battlefield.
The head of state said this on November 10 during a briefing for journalists in Denmark after receiving the second report of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation.
According to Zelenskyy, Russian military and intelligence representatives at the talks seriously insisted that Russia already controls a significant part of Ukrainian territories that actually remain under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"They believe they have occupied half of the territory of Donbas that we control. Half. It's not one village, it's a really large territory. And it was the military, representatives of Russian intelligence, who spoke about it very seriously", - the president noted.
The Ukrainian delegation denied these claims, citing video recordings, satellite images and other evidence of the presence of Ukrainian military in the respective territories.
Zelenskyy emphasized that a positive moment was the position of the American representatives, who confirmed the Ukrainian assessment of the real situation at the front. According to him, among the participants of the consultations was the Supreme Commander of the NATO Allied Forces in Europe, American General Alexus Grynkewich.
The president suggested that the Russian leadership receives distorted information about the course of hostilities and on its basis assesses its own capabilities.
"Putin lives in a different reality. Of course, he will tell the Americans that he needs one or two months to completely occupy eastern Ukraine. I can also draw him a picture in which I completely occupy Russia. But it is not true", - Zelenskyy said.
The head of state linked the differences in assessing the situation at the front with the need to hold direct talks at the level of the leaders of Ukraine and Russia with the mediation of the United States and Europe.
According to him, territorial issues remain one of the most difficult in the negotiation process. As an example, the president cited Kherson, where the opposite banks of the Dnipro are under the control of different sides, although it is about a single Ukrainian region and the lives of its residents.
"Such issues are sensitive, but we have to talk about them. We are ready for this meeting", - Zelenskyy emphasized.
The president also said that on November 11 the negotiating teams are to discuss the possibility of a meeting at the level of leaders. At the same time, he expressed doubt about the Russian side's readiness for such a format.
Based on materials: briefing of Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Denmark
