Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected any peace agreement that would require Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia, setting the stage for continued conflict as both sides maintain uncompromising positions.
Ukraine's Unwavering Stance
In a clear statement from the presidential administration, Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, told The Atlantic magazine that under no circumstances would Ukraine agree to territorial concessions. "As long as Zelenskyy is president, no one should count on us giving up territory. He will not sign away territory," Yermak declared in an interview published on Thursday.
The Ukrainian position comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to insist that Kyiv must withdraw from territories Moscow claims as its own before any meaningful peace talks can proceed. Putin described a US-proposed draft peace plan as potentially serving as a basis for future negotiations but maintained his demand for Ukrainian territorial surrender.
Diplomatic Stalemate Continues
Despite some optimism from the White House, the core issues preventing a peace agreement remain unresolved. Putin reiterated his view that Zelenskyy is "illegitimate" and showed little sign of flexibility on Russia's territorial demands, even as he acknowledged that the American side had considered some Russian concerns in their proposed peace framework.
Ukrainian and US delegations are scheduled to meet this week to discuss points raised during Geneva talks, focusing on both achieving peace with Russia and establishing security guarantees for Ukraine. The discussions occur against the backdrop of what is now day 1,374 of the conflict that has devastated parts of Ukraine and reshaped European security architecture.
International Reactions and Concerns
The diplomatic impasse has prompted concerns from European leaders about potential obstacles to a future peace agreement. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever warned that the European Union's plan to use frozen Russian state assets to fund Ukraine could endanger any potential peace deal, expressing his concerns in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Meanwhile, human rights advocates have raised alarms about the potential consequences of any peace agreement that includes amnesty for war crimes. Oleksandra Matviichuk, Ukraine's only Nobel peace prize winner, cautioned that such provisions could encourage other authoritarian leaders to attack neighbouring countries, supporting Zelenskyy's efforts to revise the leaked US-Russia peace plan through dialogue with the White House.
In neighbouring Moldova, parliament voted to close a Russian cultural centre in Chisinau, citing concerns that it served as an instrument for promoting narratives threatening to Moldova's security. This move comes amid increased tensions following Russian drone intrusions into Moldovan airspace.
