Ukraine's Foreign Minister on territorial concessions to Russia: Exactly what Putin wants
Photo: Andrii Sybiha (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
During a joint press conference with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Kyiv is not considering any scenarios that involve giving Russia part of its territory in exchange for ending the war.
Answering journalists' questions about a White House statement regarding possible concessions, Sybiha recalled the position of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"President Zelenskyy has already publicly responded, and that response is the Constitution of Ukraine. The Constitution of Ukraine contains all the answers to your question. Ukraine seeks a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace, based on the UN Charter and the norms of international law," the Minister noted.
According to Sybiha, a policy of concessions to the aggressor repeats the mistakes of Munich and aligns with the Kremlin's plans to create a Munich-2 scenario and preserve a world order built on spheres of influence.
"And that is exactly what Vladimir Putin wants: a 'Munich-2' policy, a continuation of the Yalta world order, which was built on the division of spheres of influence. Therefore, the world must counter this with joint peaceful efforts and a united, firm response, because Putin is testing," Ukraine's Foreign Minister added.
Sybiha emphasized that at this stage, the priority is to implement a ceasefire, which would become the foundation for further negotiations.
The Minister recalled that five months ago, Ukraine accepted US President Donald Trump's proposal for an unconditional truce and is now waiting for a similar agreement from Russia.
"And of course, we need both the involvement and leadership of the United States here, and we are grateful for these efforts," Sybiha concluded.
Idea of territory swap
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that to end Russia's war against Ukraine, there could be a "territory swap."
According to Trump, the United States would try to return to Ukraine the territory currently occupied by Russian soldiers.
In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded that the territorial issue is explained in the Constitution and that Ukraine will not give its land to Russia.
The Ukrainian President also stressed that Russia is promoting the idea of such a "swap" without any guarantees.
