Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has responded to the statement of the U
S. special representative Steve Vitkov about "five territories" that could be key to a peaceful agreement. During a press conference in Odesa with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Zelensky emphasized that only the Ukrainian people can decide the issue of Ukraine's territories, which is a sovereign state. The President underscored that it is unacceptable for Ukraine to recognize any territories as temporarily occupied, and stated that representatives discussing these issues are exceeding their authority. Vitkov did not specify in his statement which territories are being referred to, but previously in a conversation with Tucker Carlson, he mentioned Donetsk, Crimea, Luhansk, and two other regions. Such statements have drawn criticism from the White House and among American Republicans.