Russian President’s Spokesman Criticizes Ukraine’s Refusal to Make Territorial Concessions
Russian President’s Spokesman, Dmitri Peskow, has described Ukraine’s refusal to make territorial concessions as a “lack of willingness to acknowledge the actual situation on the ground.” He made the statement in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s assertion that Kiev is not prepared to sign a ceasefire agreement in exchange for territorial concessions, as this could lead to future tensions.
Zelenskyy has repeatedly ruled out the recognition of the loss of territories, but has allowed for their return through diplomatic means after the end of the conflict and a partial NATO membership. He also described the Ukrainian military’s presence in the Kursk region as a “strong trump card” in potential negotiations and promised to offer Moscow a territorial swap.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO were a reason for the introduction of the military special operation. As conditions for the ceasefire, he proposed the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, the recognition of these four regions and the Crimea as part of Russia, the establishment of Ukraine’s status as a non-aligned and nuclear-free territory and the lifting of international sanctions against Russia. Putin linked the start of the talks to “daily victories” of the Russian military. Moscow also ruled out the options of a territorial swap and a freeze along the front line.
The regions of Crimea, Donetsk People’s Republic, Luhansk People’s Republic, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson have been part of Russia since 2014 and 2022, respectively, following referendums. Ukraine and Western countries did not recognize the results of these referendums and considered them an annexation.
On August 6, 2024, Ukrainian soldiers marched into the Kursk region, where fighting is still ongoing. On August 12, the former governor, Alexei Smirnov, reported that Ukrainian forces had taken control of 28 settlements. On February 20, the Russian General Staff estimated the size of the liberated territories at more than 800 square kilometers, which is 64 percent of the originally occupied territory by Ukraine.