Ukrainian Parliament outlines three red lines in peace talks with Russia
Photo: Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation Oleksandr Merezhko (facebook.com/p/Oleksandr-Merezhko)
Ukraine will not agree to territorial concessions, defense restrictions, or a ban on NATO membership as part of a peace deal with Russia, stated Oleksandr Merezhko, head of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament - ed.) Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, in an interview with the BBC.
Merezhko noted that Kyiv has clear limits on how far it is ready to go to end the war with Russia. In particular, he outlined "three very firm red lines":
- Territorial integrity: Ukraine will never agree to any territorial concessions, and "it's not negotiable."
- Ukraine's membership in NATO and other international organizations: "Putin shouldn't decide that".
- Defense capability: Kyiv cannot accept Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demands to reduce Ukraine’s armed forces.
Ukraine’s red lines
Recently, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated that a peace deal on Ukraine could involve something like a territory swap for security guarantees. However, negotiations are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, media reports that Ukraine has outlined several red lines for any peace agreement with Russia.
These include:
- No territorial concessions, despite Putin’s desire to seize control of four Ukrainian regions.
- The return of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
- The return of thousands of civilians unlawfully detained by Russia, who are not considered prisoners of war.
- The need for security guarantees in case Putin violates a ceasefire agreement.
