The Ukrainian president has predictably rejected Trump-Putin’s plan to cede territory to Russia, calling any such move unconstitutional and unacceptable. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine will not give land to the occupier in exchange for a ceasefire, stressing that its borders are already defined in the Constitution and cannot be altered.
Zelenskyy rules out territorial concessions in peace talks
In his 9 August morning video address, Zelenskyy said the answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the Constitution.
“No one will retreat from this and no one can. Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier,” he stated.
He described any settlement reached without Ukraine’s participation as a “dead decision” that would never work, warning that real and lasting peace must be respected by all parties.
The President said Ukraine is ready to work with US President Donald Trump and international partners to secure agreements that will hold over time.
“We are ready together with President Trump, together with all partners, to work for real, and most importantly, lasting peace – peace that will not fall apart because of Moscow’s wishes,” he noted.
According to earlier reports, the Kremlin’s proposal would see Ukraine cede unoccupied, strategically important areas of Donetsk Oblast to Russia while freezing the frontline elsewhere. Analysts assess that such a move would leave Kyiv in a weaker defensive position and give Moscow a better launch point for future offensives.
ISW: Give up your fortress belt shield, take nothing in return—Putin’s ceasefire pitch to Ukraine
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