Zelenskyy says Russia-Ukraine peace talks will end if Moscow holds 'pseudo-referendums' in occupied areas or moves to grab more Ukrainian territories

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has explained the factors that would end any peace talks with Russia.

Zelenskyy spoke at a press conference at a metro station on Sunday about what would make Ukraine walk away from negotiations with Russia.

Zelenskyy said that if the people of Mariupol are killed, then Ukraine will not continue negotiations.

The citizens of the temporarily occupied territories of the Kherson region and many other settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region should not assist the occupying forces.

He said that Russia should not hold referendums in occupied areas because they wouldn't help the diplomatic settlement of the conflict.

Zelenskyy said that this would be the wrong step by Russia.

Russia has been accused of scheduling referendums in occupied territories.

According to The Kyiv Independent, the Ukrainian military has received information about a staged referendum in Kherson. In March, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's minister for foreign affairs, also spoke of this "fully staged" sham referendum and declared that "Kherson is and will always be Ukraine".

During Sunday's press event, Zelenskky said that he was open to in-person negotiations, signaling that he did not think any messages being passed to Russian leader Vladimir Putin by friendly nations would work.

Zelenskyy said that the war could only be stopped by the person who started it.

There is a diplomatic path. There is a military path. The diplomatic path allows one to save hundreds, thousands, or even millions of lives, and any person of sound mind would always choose it.

If corridors are opened up for soldiers and citizens to leave Mariupol, Ukraine may be willing to negotiate with Russia. The killing of Ukrainian fighters in Mariupol could end negotiations.

According to reports from Ukraine, Putin may have lost interest in peace negotiations and may be looking to grab as much territory as possible. A top Russian general said that the current goal for Moscow is to "establish full control" over the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine.