Russian war of aggression - Is Ukraine suddenly prepared to give up occupied territories?
One must initiate peace. As the Viennese writer Stephan Zweig once wrote, Europe little hopes for more than an end to the Ukraine war at present, except perhaps Russia. The aggressor has little interest in weapons falling silent, except under conditions that are unacceptable for the Ukrainian leadership.
However, now, in the midst of the stalemate situation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expresses new ideas.
In the US newspaper "Philadelphia Inquirer," he outlines his conditions for peace with Russia. According to this, Ukraine must remain as a nation and receive existence guarantees, such as through a NATO membership. A real victory would be if "Russia would not be allowed to completely destroy Ukraine," as Zelenskyy put it. In addition, the Kremlin must make amends for the damages caused.
Does Zelenskyy renounce territories?
New in Zelenskyy's statements is that he makes no territorial demands. Until now, Zelenskyy had insisted that Russia withdraw from all occupied territories and return them to Ukraine, the rightful owner, including the 2014 annexed Crimea. The Ukrainian population is also not willing to hand over territories to Russia.
Since the war began in February 2022, Russian troops have held approximately a fifth of Ukraine: Donetsk and Luhansk in the east of the country, as well as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south. Meanwhile, the Moscow leadership has integrated these regions into the federation, although none of them is fully controlled by the Russian military.
To end the conflict, there have long been demands to freeze the current front lines. Ukraine has rejected this so far. Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy's chief of staff, said during a visit to the US: "We are not willing to make compromises on important things and values. Independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty."
Unacceptable demands from Moscow
In essence, these are exactly the points that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not willing to concede to Ukraine. On his list of demands for peace, Russia demands that Ukraine renounce the four occupied regions and completely withdraw from them. In addition, the rest of Ukraine must be neutral, meaning it cannot join NATO or the EU. Ukraine must also disarm and "de-Nazify." Behind the last formulation stands the demand of the Kremlin to replace the Kiev leadership with a Moscow-friendly government.
For the attacked country, these conditions are unacceptable, as they would turn the rest of Ukraine into a Russian appendage. Even a time-limited ceasefire, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban suggested during his visit to Kiev, is rejected by Zelenskyy. In his opinion, the enemy would use the pause only to refresh its armies. Direct talks with Moscow would also not bring a real peace: "It is impossible to help Ukraine with one hand and shake Putin's hand with the other," as Zelenskyy put it in the "Philadelphia Inquirer."
If Selenskyj is starting to deviate from his previous maximum demands, it could be a signal for a new strategy. At the end of June, the Ukrainian president announced at the EU summit that he would organize a peace summit and present a peace plan still this year. It's about time. After nearly three years of war, it has become increasingly apparent that the battlefield is no longer suitable for a decision.
In his peace conditions outlined in the "Philadelphia Inquirer," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine emphasizes the importance of maintaining Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, seeking NATO membership as a guarantee. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has unacceptable demands for peace, including Ukraine's renunciation of the occupied territories and a neutral status that precludes NATO or EU membership.
