The Ukrainian authorities tried to keep Russia’s offer of territorial concessions from Kyiv in exchange for a cease-fire secret, fearing the reaction of Ukrainians, writes The New York Times.
The newspaper, citing a European diplomat and a Ukrainian official in Kyiv, reported that the American side informed representatives of Ukraine and Europe about this proposal during a conversation after the meeting of US Special envoy Steve Witkoff with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 6.
The NYT notes that after that, Vladimir Zelensky recorded a video message in a telegram channel, without mentioning Moscow’s proposal. However, after US President Donald Trump said that a peace agreement could include “some exchange of territories,” Zelensky had no choice but to make this public.
The Ukrainian leader said that Kyiv is ready for solutions that lead to peace, but it will not “donate its land.”
“The answer to the Ukrainian territorial issue is already in the Constitution of Ukraine. No one will or will be able to back down from this,” Zelensky said.
The Telegraph wrote that Kyiv is ready for a cease-fire along the front line, but not for international recognition of Russia’s control over the new territories.
Moscow insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the republics of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions and the recognition of these regions, as well as Crimea, as part of Russia. These conditions were announced by President Vladimir Putin last summer. On August 1, he stated that Moscow’s demands had not changed since then, RBC reminds.