Ukraine’s security chief sharply opposed territorial concessions for 'peace'
Photo: Secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Lytvynenko (GettyImages)
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, cautioned Western politicians against attempts to impose an early peace deal on Ukraine that would require it to relinquish territory, The Economist reports.
In cautioning Western partners, Lytvynenko emphasized, "Putin has lied, is lying, and will continue to lie."
"Ceding territory to Russia in return for peace would be a cruel betrayal of the Ukrainians left under violent occupation, he says. Many more innocent people would be killed, more would be thrown into cellars," he said.
Lytvynenko also cited a more pragmatic reason to reject the option of concessions to Russia.
"An agreement made with a compulsive liar probably means only one thing: him regrouping, rearming and trying for more in two or three years. Russia’s leader is addicted to the idea of conquering Ukraine," Lytvynenko said.
He noted that next time Putin won't make mistakes and will prepare his operation much more thoroughly, following all the laws of "military art".
Trump's rhetoric regarding Russia's concessions of Ukrainian territories
Previously, The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump, in a private conversation, expressed readiness to end Russia's war against Ukraine, pressing Kyiv to relinquish certain territory.
Later, a Trump campaign advisor called The Washington Post's material "fake news." He emphasized that the US presidential candidate would not accept a peace plan until he came to power and could properly weigh all options.
In March 2023, Donald Trump already promised his supporters to "end Russia's war against Ukraine in 24 hours" if elected President of the United States in the November 5 election. He noted that he would allow Russia to take some Ukrainian territories to "avoid war."
Recently, on April 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that if Trump's peace plan regarding the war in Ukraine only involves handing over parts of Russia's territories, then it is a very primitive idea.
