Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected the possibility of territorial concessions to Ukraine, stating that the idea has not even been considered in talks to resolve the conflict. At a press conference in Moscow following discussions with his Serbian counterpart, Marko Đurić, Lavrov said, “What concessions, with or without the Russian people, for rare earth metals that are rarely found?”
Lavrov added that concessions to Ukraine had been made during the Soviet Union’s founding, when the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic encompassed vast territories that had been developed by the Russian people for centuries. He stated, “Until a certain point, it worked, but then something went wrong.”
The minister claimed that nationalist and even Nazi-like sentiments have begun to grow in Ukraine. He suggested that those offering solutions should “delve into the background” of the issue.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously stated that Kiev would not recognize the lost territories as Russian and would diplomatically reclaim them once the country joins the NATO alliance. Last week, he implied a potential exchange of territories, without specifying which ones, but Ukrainian forces still control a part of the Kursk region.
The Kremlin emphasized that “Russia has never discussed and will not discuss the topic of a territory exchange” and that Ukrainian forces would be removed from Russian territory.
The United States has offered to exchange Ukrainian natural resources, some of which are located in Russian-controlled areas, for US aid. According to NBC, Washington proposed that Kiev grant the US the right to possess 50% of Ukraine’s rare earth metals in exchange for the deployment of US troops in the country to secure the extraction of these resources. Zelenskyy has not signed the document, as he believes it does not protect Ukraine’s interests.