– No one in their right mind would sign a document relinquishing the territory today – said Yermak in an interview with the Atlantic magazine. — As long as Zelensky is president, no one should count on us giving up the territory. He will not cede territory, he added.
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What was Andriy Yermak's position on the territories?
Is Ukraine ready to talk about relinquishing its territories?
Who is to resolve issues related to the territory of Ukraine?
What proposals does the draft peace plan contain?
— The constitution prohibits it. No one can do this unless they want to oppose the Ukrainian constitution and the Ukrainian nation, said the head of Zelensky's office. — When it comes to territory, Ukraine is ready to talk only about the demarcation line, we read. — All we can realistically talk about now is actually defining the contact line. This is what needs to be done, added Yermak.
Yermak noted that the proposal developed as a result of consultations in Geneva and Abu Dhabi “is not contrary to the interests” of Ukraine and takes into account its red lines. He added that several issues were set aside during the negotiations, including all those related to the territory of Ukraine. These matters are to be resolved by the presidents of Ukraine and the USA, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.
Draft peace plan
The magazine emphasized that the Ukrainian position before the next round of consultations will significantly limit the space for negotiators to achieve peace. Russia is not sending any signals that it may withdraw its demand for Ukrainian territory, including that not under the control of its army. Although negotiators have made progress in recent days, they still have different views on the key issue of territory. In this respect, the positions of Russia and Ukraine seem difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile.
The draft peace plan published last week by Axios assumes, among other things, that Crimea, the Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts would be recognized as de facto Russian, including by the United States. Ukrainian forces would withdraw from the part of the Donetsk Oblast they currently control, and the withdrawal zone would be considered a neutral demilitarized buffer zone, internationally recognized as territory belonging to the Russian Federation. Russian forces would not enter this demilitarized zone.
