President Zelensky has said Kyiv's priorities in peace talks to end the war with Russia are maintaining Ukraine's sovereignty and securing strong security guarantees, BBC reported.

Zelensky said "the territorial issue is the most difficult", as Russia continues to demand that Ukraine give up areas of the eastern Donbas region that it still holds – which Kyiv maintains it will never do.

He was speaking after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where he joined a call with European leaders including those of the UK, Germany, Poland, and Italy, according to BBC.