Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized today, Wednesday, that he will not accept any peace proposal that turns the Russian war in his country into a frozen conflict. He confirmed that some members of the Russian private military group Wagner are still in Ukraine, but the Ukrainian army believes that the situation in the northern part of the country is under control.
Zelensky made these statements in a speech delivered in front of Parliament on Ukrainian Constitution Day, noting that he still "opposes any peace plan that retains the gains achieved by Russia on the ground since it began its full invasion in February 2022." He stated, "Ukraine will not agree to any form of a frozen conflict."
Zelensky mentioned that Ukraine is "on its way to victory," highlighting that "the political and military leadership of the Russian Federation must not escape justice, simply because they are supposed to enjoy immunity like heads of state." He added, "They are not state leaders; they are bandits who have taken over state institutions in Russia and have begun to terrorize the entire world," describing the Russian president as suffering from "madness."
When asked about the presence of Wagner in Belarus, he said, "I do not think this force will be very large." He added, "Our army believes that the situation in the northern part of our country has not changed and is under our control."
Zelensky presented a "formula" for peace consisting of ten points, including restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, and the restoration of Ukraine's state borders.
Regarding marijuana, Zelensky called for the legalization of drugs based on marijuana, stating that these medicines should be produced in the country. This came during his remarks to the Rada television channel, where he continued: "The best global practices, all the most effective policies, and all solutions must be applied, no matter how difficult or strange that may be for us in Ukraine, so that our citizens do not have to suffer pain. We must finally legalize cannabis-based medicines."
Zelensky noted that "proper scientific research is necessary, and production itself must be present in Ukraine." He had initiated a project to legalize medical marijuana since 2020 when he was a presidential candidate, and later the bill was registered in the Ukrainian Parliament in July 2021, but lawmakers failed to vote on it. Subsequently, in June 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to allow the use of marijuana for medical and scientific purposes.
