Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump's proposal to exchange part of Ukraine’s territory in return for peace. Trump’s suggestion, which did not specify which areas might be swapped, struck a nerve with many Ukrainians, The New York Times reports.
The results of ongoing US–Russia negotiations over the war in Ukraine remain largely secret, fueling uncertainty over what security guarantees the West might offer Ukraine in exchange for concessions to Russia. Kyiv warns that without firm security guarantees, Moscow will quickly break any deal, as it did with the Minsk agreements, which ended in all-out war and “temporary ceasefires” that turned into bloodshed.
Zelenskyy’s direct refusal risks angering, who has made brokering a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow one of the central goals of his foreign policy, even if the deal would disadvantage Ukraine.
“Peace as trap”: Ukraine may face pressure from US and Russia to accept Kremlin’s demands, says diplomat
This could leave Ukraine vulnarable to concessions it may need to make amid Kyiv's dependency on Western aid and weapons in the struggle against Russia.
Trump pushes for concessions
Trump has previously accused Ukraine of making excessively tough demands for a ceasefire. This time, he stated that some territories would need to be swapped and returned. There will be an exchange of territories for the benefit of both sides, he said. His vague comments sparked widespread outrage among Ukrainians.
Ukraine refuses to give up land
Zelenskyy’s stance reflects the overwhelming sentiment in Ukrainian society: territorial concessions are unacceptable. A Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll found that over half of Ukrainians believe the country should not cede any land “even if this makes the war last longer and threatens the preservation of independence.”
Military experts warn that such a deal would mean abandoning a key fortified defensive line in northern Donetsk Oblast, between Sloviansk and Kostiantynivka, which has so far held back Russian advances.
Peace talks in Alaska and Moscow's advantage
Trump has agreed to hold peace talks next Friday in Alaska. For now, Moscow's approach, not Kyiv's, appears to have the upper hand on the diplomatic front.
Read also
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Zelenskyy to Trump-Putin’s plan for Ukraine to cede territory to Russia: Ukrainian land is not yours to trade
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Axios: US, Ukraine, and NATO allies rush to high-stakes UK meeting to forge united stance before Trump meets Putin
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ISW: Give up your fortress belt shield, take nothing in return—Putin’s ceasefire pitch to Ukraine
