Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially ruled out amending the country's Constitution to mandate a neutral status. Speaking to Interfax on Friday, the President argued that enshrining neutrality would fail to provide Ukraine with the necessary long-term security guarantees required for the nation’s safety.
Zelenskyy further reiterated that Ukraine maintains its goal of joining the European Union, a position he stated has been communicated clearly at all levels. Regarding concerns over the country’s relationship with NATO, the President remarked that Ukraine is not currently a member of the alliance. He dismissed the push for constitutional changes, suggesting that if neutrality is interpreted as simply not being in NATO, that status already exists in practice.
The statements arrived during a period of sustained military activity, with both nations reporting significant overnight attacks despite ongoing U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to mediate a ceasefire. Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported the interception of 1,198 Ukrainian drones across 15 regions on Friday. In the southern region of Volgograd, Governor Andrei Bocharov confirmed that strikes on an industrial area killed four people and injured two others.
In Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that 467 drones hit the capital overnight. Simultaneously, Ukraine reported strikes in the southern port city of Odesa, where military administration officials confirmed at least two deaths. In Kyiv, a hospital located near the city centre caught fire following a Russian drone strike, resulting in one injury and forced evacuations, while six people were reported injured in the southeastern Zaporizhia district.
Key facts
- President Zelenskyy explicitly rejected calls to add a neutrality requirement to the Ukrainian Constitution.
- The Russian Ministry of Defence reported intercepting 1,198 Ukrainian drones across more than 15 regions.
- Four people were killed in Volgograd, Russia, and at least two were killed in Odesa, Ukraine.
- U.S. envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff recently met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Dublin.
- Negotiators recently reached an agreement on a prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi, but reported no progress on ending the conflict.
Why it matters
Territorial disputes and demands for security guarantees remain primary obstacles to a peace deal. While U.S. envoys continue to mediate, Kushner noted that future negotiations must include European representation to safeguard continental interests and support Ukraine. Discussions have reportedly included contentious Russian demands regarding European security, including calls for Finland to exit NATO and restrictions on alliance troop deployments in the Baltic region.
Background
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil infrastructure throughout the year in an effort to reduce the energy export earnings that Russia uses to fund its ongoing invasion of the country.
Source: Hindustan Times, Al Jazeera
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