Analyse
Ukraine’s official position since 2022—reiterated by Zelenskyy in multiple forums (e.g., [G7 summits](https://www.consilium.europa.eu), [UN speeches](https://www.un.org))—has been a refusal to engage in direct talks with Russia *while Putin remains president*, aligning with the first part of the claim. However, the second part—Putin’s *exclusive* motivation being territorial retention—relies on inference. While Russia’s actions (e.g., annexation of Ukrainian regions in Sept 2022, [Kremlin statements](http://kremlin.ru)) suggest territorial ambitions, Putin’s broader strategic goals (e.g., neutralizing NATO influence, regime change in Kyiv) are documented in analyses by [RAND Corporation](https://www.rand.org) and [Chatham House](https://www.chathamhouse.org), making the claim **overly narrow**.
Achtergrond
The statement was made during a period of intensified Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure (Oct–Nov 2022) and followed Ukraine’s successful counteroffensives in Kharkiv and Kherson. Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace formula (presented at the [G20 Summit](https://www.g20.org), Nov 2022) explicitly excludes negotiations with Putin, demanding Russia’s full withdrawal as a precondition. Putin, meanwhile, has framed the war as an existential conflict against ‘Western expansion,’ per [Kremlin transcripts](http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/70099).
Samenvatting verdict
Zelenskyy’s claim about Ukraine’s refusal to negotiate with Putin is **accurate as stated policy**, but his assertion about Putin’s *sole* interest in retaining territory is **interpretive and lacks definitive public evidence**.