The former commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, and currently the Ukrainian ambassador to Great Britain, General Valery Zaluzhny, assessed the prospects for ending the war in The Telegraph.
The article continues below the video
What political changes does Valery Zaluzhny propose?
What do Ukrainian citizens think about Zaluzhny?
Why is it difficult for Ukraine to give ground in negotiations?
What are the points of the US peace plan?
Zelensky's rival on Ukraine's possibilities after the change of government
“It does not always end with the victory of one side and the defeat of the other. We, Ukrainians, strive for total victory, but we cannot reject the possibility of a long-term end to the war. Peace, even in the face of another war, provides a chance for political changes, deep reforms, full reconstruction, economic growth and the return of citizens,” we read in the entry on the X website.
Many studies show that Ukrainian citizens would see Załuzhny as a possible successor to Zelensky. For example, in a June survey, the ambassador in London was trusted by 73 percent. citizens, and the Ukrainian president – 49 percent. The current provisions of Ukrainian law clearly specify that presidential elections cannot be held in times of war.
“We can even talk about the beginnings of shaping a safe, protected state through innovation and technology, about strengthening the foundations of justice by fighting corruption and creating a fair judicial system, as well as about economic development, also on the basis of international economic reconstruction programs,” concluded Załużny.
Discussions around how to end the war
Załużny's entry appeared at a time when Ukraine, Russia and the US are talking about ending the war. Last week, the US presidential administration presented a 28-point peace plan to Ukraine. According to media reports, this plan would oblige Kyiv, among others, to: not to join NATO, limiting the number of troops to 600,000. soldiers and giving Russia part of the territory.
Last Sunday, talks between the US and Ukrainian delegations took place in Geneva, devoted to an agreement based on a 28-point plan to be developed by representatives of the US and Russian leaders – Witkoff and Kirill Dmitriev. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and – on the Ukrainian side – Andriy Yermak, who was dismissed on Friday, met in Switzerland. Kiev announced that the original draft of the peace plan had been changed and the document currently contains 19 points.
Ukraine does not intend to back down
On Thursday, in an interview with the Atlantic magazine, Yermak said that Ukraine would not give territory to Russia. As he emphasized, Kiev is ready to talk about the demarcation line marking the territory controlled by both sides. — As long as Zelensky is president, no one should count on us giving up the territory. He will not cede territory, he emphasized.
The magazine claims that Ukraine's 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.
