Ukraine's President Zelensky has over some four years of war with Russia made very clear hisunbending stance that Ukraine will never cede territoryfor sake of achieving peace under his watch. Yet reaching a peace settlement precisely hinges on this, as Russia will also not give up the territory it has conquered in the Donbas, including the four eastern territories in declared part of the Russian Federation in a 2022 'popular referendum'.
The White House finally appears to be ratcheting up the pressure on Zelensky to make some kind of serious land concession, however. This was evident in the latest comments by President Trump on the topic of Geneva talks this week. Frustration with Kiev was evident he told reporters aboard Air Force One, "Well, we have big talks." He stated that "It’s going to be very easy.I mean, look, so far, Ukraine better come to the table fast. That’s all I’m telling you."
This raised eyebrows among Western allies given Trump seemed to put blame squarely on Zelensky and Ukraine for failing to advance the talks, and the Trump-backed 20-point peace plan which is on the table.
This unexpected statement of Trump's was serious enough for Zelensky to issue a response later the same day. The Ukrainian leader said in a just published interview with Axios thatthe Ukrainian public itself won't let him cede territory.
It seems this is his way of evading the mounting criticism and pressure from Trump - basically by passing it off as unpopular domestically. According toAxios:
He went so far as to proclaim toAxiosthat it was"not fair" for President Trump to continually call out Ukraineto make concessions, when Moscow is the aggressor.
Ukraine has recently offered a 'freeze' of the front lines, but not permanent and political recognition of territory, which has been long sought by the Putin government. Zelensky has also lately urged a face to face meeting with President Putin, but the Kremlin has made clear nothing of the sort will happen until an acceptable deal is ready to be signed.
In the interview Zelensky suggested that given Russia's size and power, it is easier for the US leader to lean on much smaller Ukraine to make big sacrifices at the negotiating table.
"I hope it is just his tactics and not the decision,"Zelensky said. "We respect each other," he said of Trump, while again thanking the US for seeking to arrange a peace agreement. According to Axios, here's where things stand on the territorial question amid talks inGeneva:
The U.S. mediators have proposed thatUkrainian forces withdraw from the parts of the Donbas they currently hold and allow that area to become a demilitarized "free economic zone."Washington has not taken a position on which country would hold sovereignty there.
Source: ZeroHedge News
