Confession from Kyiv: We have no more strength

In an exclusive interview with Kyodo News at the presidential palace in Kyiv, Zelensky said that the support of his partners "is not enough" and called on NATO to invite Kyiv to negotiations on membership with the military alliance as soon as possible.

He stated that "it is difficult to recapture by force some of the Russian-occupied parts of the country, including Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014."

"Our army lacks the strength to do that. That's true. We need to find diplomatic solutions. But such steps can only be considered when we know that we are strong enough that Russia cannot launch a new aggression against Ukraine," the Ukrainian leader said, noting that the war had entered a "complicated period".

Asked if he thought US support for Ukraine would continue after President-elect Donald Trump took office, Zelensky said Trump and his team knew Ukraine's position and its "Victory Plan," which aims to put it in a "strong position " in order to facilitate a diplomatic solution.

"They are studying the plan and we will talk to them. But there will be no capitulation on the part of Ukraine. That is a fact and I think he understands it," he pointed out and added that he is counting on additional talks with the new American president in order to "explain in more detail certain things".

At the same time, the former Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, expressed his belief today that the temporary ceding of territories to Russia would be an option for a quick end to the Ukrainian war.

"We need a cease-fire line and, of course, ideally it should cover all the territories currently controlled by Russia, but we see that this is not very realistic in the near future. Ukraine could temporarily give up part of its territories for this purpose," he said.

Stoltenberg also said that it is important for the government in Kyiv to receive security guarantees in exchange for temporary territorial concessions.

Zelensky also said that it is almost certain that North Korean soldiers, deployed in western Russia, will eventually be used as "cannon fodder on the front lines of the conflict."

He did not say how many North Korean soldiers, originally transferred to eastern Russia in October, had been killed or wounded fighting Ukrainian forces.

"There is evidence that about 12,000 North Korean soldiers are deployed in Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, but Kyiv needs to have proof before revealing the exact number of casualties. Many North Korean soldiers will be sent to the front lines of the war in the future, and it is undeniable that Russian President Vladimir Putin will use them as cannon fodder to reduce losses for his country's army," Zelensky pointed out.

According to him, what could be more important in the long run is that North Korean soldiers will be trained by the Russian military in real war conditions to gain knowledge about modern warfare, such as the use of drones and other new technologies.

"It would have a huge impact on Asia and other countries if such knowledge was brought back to North Korea," the Ukrainian leader warned.