Zelenski announces progress on the southern front: “300 square kilometers liberated.” When could Kiev accept a territorial compromise
Ukraine claims to have recaptured about 300 square kilometers of territory in the south of the country in recent days, while peace talks with Russia remain stalled over the Donbass dispute. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says that a possible compromise could only be discussed after obtaining solid security guarantees from Western partners.
Volodymyr Zelensky announces that the Ukrainian army has liberated 300 km2 in the south PHOTO: AFP
The Ukrainian president stated, in an interview with AFP, that the Ukrainian army managed to liberate important areas in the south as part of the ongoing counteroffensive, reports Agerpres. “So far, 300 km (square) have been released”Zelenski said, shortly before the four-year anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion, considered the worst conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
According to AFP, this information could not be independently confirmed. The mentioned area would represent about a third of the size of the capital city of Kyiv.
Negotiations stalled because of Donbas
Direct talks between Kiev and Moscow, conducted with American mediation, are deadlocked over the status of Donbas, a large industrial basin in eastern Ukraine, largely occupied by Russian forces and which the Ukrainian authorities refuse to cede.
Zelenskiy said pressures for a quick end to the war include demanding that Ukraine give up the region. “The Americans, like the Russians, say that if you want the war to end tomorrow, get out of Donbas”he stated. The Ukrainian leader believes that Washington exerts more pressure on Kiev because it is located “in a more difficult position“. In his view, the United States “I see this as the solution to the problem“, while for Russia it would represent a way “to conquer Donbas quickly without losing people”.
The Ukrainian president says any talk of compromise must start with firm assurances about Ukraine's security. “First security guarantees from Washington, then we can talk about compromise with the Russians starting from a stronger position. It doesn't matter what compromise, including a territorial one”Zelensky explained.
He emphasized, however, that a possible withdrawal of Ukraine should be accompanied by a similar withdrawal of Russian forces: “If we retreat 10, 20, 30, 40 km, then let them retreat too“.
The strategic stake and the political cost of Donbas
Ukrainian authorities claim that there are numerous defense systems in the Donbas that limit the advance of the Russian army in the east of the country. At the same time, a withdrawal from this region would have a major political and symbolic cost, as tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died defending the territory, which remains the main epicenter of the fighting, AFP notes.
Kiev insists on the need for security guarantees to prevent another Russian invasion, including by deploying, after a possible armistice, a contingent of European troops near the front line.
On the other hand, Moscow has given no signal that it is ready for a compromise after almost four years of war, with the Russian president saying that Russia will achieve its goals by force if a diplomatic solution fails.
