Part 2/10:
The admission comes in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its subsequent control over approximately 80% of the Donbas region. Despite a counter-offensive backed by Western military aid, Ukraine has struggled to dislodge Russian forces from these strategically important areas. Zelensky pointed out that the Ukrainian Constitution prohibits the abandonment of these territories, explicitly noting, “de facto these territories are now controlled by the Russians.”