Russian war of aggression - Selensky talks about peace demands, territorial claims are not included
One must initiate peace. As the Viennese writer Stephan Zweig once wrote, Europe currently hopes for little more than an end to the Ukraine war. Except perhaps Russia. The aggressor has little interest in weapons falling silent, except under conditions that are unacceptable to the Ukrainian leadership.
However, now, in the midst of the stalemate, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expressing new ideas.
In the US newspaper "Philadelphia Inquirer," he outlined his conditions for peace with Russia. According to him, Ukraine must remain as a nation and receive existential guarantees, such as through a NATO membership. A real victory would be if "Russia would not be allowed to completely destroy Ukraine," so Zelenskyy. In addition, the Kremlin must make amends for the damages caused.
Does Zelenskyy give up on 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 cede territory to Russia.
The absence of territorial demands does not mean that Ukraine is willing to relinquish its ancestral lands in reality. Maxim Kireev, an expert on Eastern Europe for "Zeit," sees in this omission a possible strategic shift: "There is now apparently a willingness to abandon maximalist demands. Until now, Ukraine did not want to negotiate with Moscow as long as its troops stood on Ukrainian territory. Now it seems more important to keep the country than to regain any cities and territories," so Kireev in the podcast "What's Up."
"We are not willing to make compromises on important things"
Since the war began in February 2022, Kremlin 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 are fully controlled by Russian military.
To end the conflict, there have long been demands to freeze the current front lines. The 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 unwilling to concede to Ukraine. On his list of demands for peace is that Ukraine renounces the four occupied regions and completely withdraws from them. In addition, Ukraine must be neutral and therefore not be able to 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 wormhole. Even a time-limited ceasefire, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban suggested during his visit to Kiev, is rejected by Zelensky. In his view, the enemy would only use this pause to refresh their armies. Direct talks with Moscow would also not bring real peace: "It is impossible to help Ukraine with one hand and shake Putin's hand with the other," Zelensky told the "Philadelphia Inquirer".
No Decision on the Battlefield
Zelensky announced at the end of June EU summit that he would organize a peace summit and present a peace plan still in this year. Time is ripe. After almost two and a half years of war, it has become increasingly apparent that the battlefield is no longer suitable for a decision.
Following President Zelenskyy's proposals for peace in the "Philadelphia Inquirer," Ukraine seeks NATO membership as a guarantee of its existence, while Zelenskyy stresses that Russia should not destroy Ukraine completely. Despite not making territorial demands, Ukraine is not willing to relinquish its ancestral lands in reality, according to expert Maxim Kireev.
Contrasting with Zelenskyy's proposals, Russian President Vladimir Putin insists on Ukraine renouncing the four occupied regions, becoming neutral, and not joining NATO or the EU. These conditions are considered unacceptable by Ukraine, as they would turn the rest of the country into a Russian wormhole.
