Latest news Ukraine

Kremlin rejects Ukraine’s territory exchange proposal

“This is impossible. Russia has never discussed and will never discuss exchanging its territory,” Putin’s spokesman said despite the latest Ukrainian gains in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

byBohdan Ben

12/02/2025

2 minute read

Screenshot of Ukrainian soldiers in Sudzha, Russia, dated 9 August 2024

Kremlin rejects Ukraine’s territory exchange proposal

The Kremlin has firmly rejected the possibility of a territorial exchange with Ukraine, with Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that "this is impossible." "Russia has never discussed and will never discuss exchanging its territory," he said. The statement comes in response to recent comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who suggested in a Guardian interview published on 11 February that Ukraine could potentially exchange territory it currently controls in Russia's Kursk region for part of Russian-occupied Ukrainian lands.

In the interview, Zelenskyy proposed the possibility of trading territory, though he did not specify which occupied Ukrainian regions might be involved in such an exchange, noting that "all our territories are important, there is no priority here."

Kyiv may consider swapping seized Russian territory for occupied lands of Ukraine, Zelenskyy says

The context for these diplomatic exchanges stems from increased speculations about possible Russia-Ukraine negotiations to stop the war, with president Zelenskyy already stating

he is ready for direct talks with Putin if the West backs him, including by providing firm security guarantees for Ukraine such as continuous military aid or boots on the ground. Ukraine captured over 1,000 square kilometers of the Russian Kursk Oblast in August 2024. Russia's numerous counterattacks allowed it to reclaim part of the land, but recently Ukraine has again expanded its controlled area inside Russia. Related:

To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here

You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter

We are an independent media outlet that relies solely on advertising revenue to sustain itself. We do not endorse or promote any products or services for financial gain. Therefore, we kindly ask for your support by disabling your ad blocker. Your assistance helps us continue providing quality content. Thank you!