Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv says Zelensky will never give up territory to Putin
Ukraine’s top negotiator has said that Kyiv will never cede territory to Russia as part of a peace deal as long as Volodymyr Zelensky is president.
Speaking to The Atlantic, Andriy Yermak said that “not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up territory” following a week of discussion with US officials over how to end the war.
Yermak has sought to assure Washington that Kyiv is ready for peace and open to negotiation – but made it clear that territory such as the Donbas region is off-limits.
Ukrainian and US delegations are set to meet later this week to discuss security guarantees in a potential peace deal following talks in Geneva, Zelensky said earlier.
His comments come after Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine must give up territory for a peace deal to be possible, in a repeat of his maximalist demands for a peace deal.
However, he said that a 28-point plan presented by Donald Trump is a “basis for future agreements” while delivering a speech in Kyrgyzstan on Thursday.
