25% of Ukraine could stay under Russia in case of ceasefire, ambassador says
Ambassador of Ukraine to Türkiye Vasyl Bodnar (Getty Images)
A ceasefire without the withdrawal of Russian troops from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine will provide Russia with an opportunity for further attacks, according to the Ambassador of Ukraine to Türkiye Vasyl Bodnar, reports Euronews.
He says that the solution to the problem of the Russian occupation, which has been going on for more than two years, is to protect the territorial integrity of Ukraine within the framework of international law.
“Any other proposal for a solution must not be considered, and for this reason we rejected it,” the ambassador said.
He adds that many countries have proposed the idea of a ceasefire, but have not thought about its consequences.
According to Bodnar, a ceasefire would leave 25% of Ukraine's territory under Russian control, which would gain time to strengthen its capabilities and resume attacks on Ukraine.
“Our methods of securing peace are very simple - the withdrawal of Russian troops and the preservation of international law, then we can start talking about other possibilities,” Bodnar explained.
Proposals for a ceasefire
In early July, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Ukraine on a working visit. He proposed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cease fire on the frontline to start negotiations with Russia.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that the Kremlin's tough conditions for peace talks are tantamount to Ukraine's surrender, which indicates Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to hold honest negotiations on terms other than Russia's.
Earlier, Putin put forward a ceasefire condition: Ukraine must give up four of its regions and its NATO membership.
