Discussions of a possible peace treaty between Ukraine and Russia, initiated by the United States, are ongoing. Many Ukrainians view this scenario with concern, as such agreements may involve concessions, including territorial ones. At the same time, certain terms of a ceasefire may be acceptable if they provide real security guarantees.
Major of the National Guard of Ukraine, officer of the planning section of the Rubizh brigade, Dmytro Kozhubenko, expressed his position on Channel 24. According to him, any possible cessation of the war must be accompanied by working security guarantees, otherwise Russia will simply use the pause to rearm and prepare for a new offensive.
“I have been fighting since 2014. And it is very difficult for me to accept that we can give up a large territory of our country. But I understand that we really are not pulling this roller. We are much weaker. And I have already seen Minsk, I have seen the signing of agreements with Russia. I know what they are worth. Therefore, we need really real security guarantees, working ones. And not these promises,” Kozhubenko noted.
The military emphasizes that negotiations may be possible if there are no significant concessions in the territories, and the return of the occupied lands will take place through diplomatic channels.
“We can go to negotiations if we receive real security guarantees and if the concessions are minimal. But then, through diplomatic channels, our territories must still be returned,” adds Kozhubenko.
Many experts believe that a meeting between Ukrainian and American representatives in Saudi Arabia this week could be key to the future of the war. The Times writes that this meeting could be the last chance for Volodymyr Zelensky to improve relations with Washington.
For its part, the Financial Times reports that Kyiv will try to convince the US to resume military aid and intelligence sharing. Ukraine will try to prove that Zelensky is ready to compromise, but not on terms that could be catastrophic for statehood.
Despite international pressure, Ukraine is not ready to agree to conditions that could jeopardize the country's future. Kyiv's main focus is on real security guarantees, not just freezing the conflict. Whether the parties will be able to find a compromise will become clear after the negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
