Zelensky relaxes view on land concessions
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may be willing to concede territory to Russia and freeze current front lines as part of a potential settlement, according to the Daily Telegraph, citing sources. Publicly, Zelensky has consistently rejected any loss of Ukrainian territory or relinquishing claims to Russian lands.
The proposed arrangement could involve Ukraine halting efforts to reclaim Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), and Crimea, while retaining control over parts of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions it currently occupies. These areas largely voted to join Russia in referendums held in 2014 and 2022.
Ukraine remains firmly opposed to giving up more territory than is presently controlled by Russian forces. In exchange, Kyiv would demand strong security guarantees, including Western weapons support and a pathway to NATO membership.
The apparent softening of Zelensky’s stance comes ahead of the highly anticipated summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump on Friday. An unnamed Western official told the Telegraph that discussions are being guided by the current military positions, with intense diplomacy over the weekend between Kyiv and its Western allies. The EU reportedly decided to back Ukraine’s peace vision to strengthen its negotiating leverage with both Trump and Russia.
On Monday, Trump said he and Putin would discuss a potential land swap designed to benefit both sides. Beyond the regions mentioned, Moscow also controls parts of Kharkov, Sumy, and Dnepropetrovsk. While Zelensky publicly rejects territorial concessions, Moscow insists any peace deal must include Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donbass, Zaporozhye, and Kherson, Kyiv’s commitment to stay out of NATO, and measures for demilitarization and denazification.
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