Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly stated that Ukraine will not concede any territory not currently occupied by Russian forces. This declaration follows a demand from Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the ongoing conflict between the two nations. In comments made during a press conference in Brussels ahead of his meeting with Donald Trump on March 15, 2024, Zelensky emphasized that any peace negotiations must begin from the existing front lines.
Zelensky outlined that while Ukraine is open to discussions involving “land swaps,” the notion of ceding the entirety of the Donetsk region, which includes territories still under Ukrainian control, is unacceptable. “We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now,” he stated.
The Ukrainian leader highlighted that Russian forces have struggled to secure the Donetsk region for over a decade. He noted, “Putin has been unable to take it for 12 years, and the Constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible to give up territory or trade land.”
While Russia currently occupies a significant part of both the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Ukrainian forces have successfully defended key cities such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. Reports indicate that hundreds of Russian troops are either killed or injured each week in the ongoing conflict.
Zelensky’s stance has garnered support from European leaders, who assert that Ukraine’s territorial integrity must not be compromised through military force. He remarked, “Since the territorial issue is so important, it should be discussed only by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the trilateral Ukraine-United States-Russia.”
Looking ahead to his meeting with Trump, Zelensky expressed the need for clarity regarding the “security guarantees” that would be extended to Ukraine should a peace deal be finalized. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, indicated that Putin had agreed to allow the US and Europe to provide assurances to Ukraine against future invasions, akin to NATO’s Article 5 agreement.
Despite these discussions, Putin has publicly rejected any arrangements that would enable Ukraine to pursue NATO membership. This has led to a lack of concrete concessions from Russia, leaving Zelensky with numerous questions following the recent summit in Alaska. He stated, “We really want to get an answer to these questions in order to understand what ‘security guarantees’ are.”
As the situation evolves, the international community continues to monitor the dynamics between Ukraine and Russia, with particular attention on how negotiations will unfold in the coming weeks.