Ukraine is open to negotiations but will not accept surrender, Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated on Wednesday. Her remarks came as media reports surfaced about a U.S. proposal suggesting Ukraine relinquish nearly all of the territory currently under Russian control as part of a potential agreement.
“There will be no agreement that hands Russia the stronger foundations it needs to regroup and return with greater violence,” Svyrydenko wrote on X.
“Our people will not accept a frozen conflict disguised as peace,” she added.
Full, Unconditional Ceasefire
Media outlets have this week reported details of a broad proposal by Washington for a deal between Kyiv and Moscow which proposes the formal recognition of the occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea as Russian as well as Moscow keeping de facto control of most captured Ukrainian territory.
On the other hand, Ukraine has pushed for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire with negotiations proceeding after it is established.
“A full ceasefire – on land, in the air, and at sea – is the necessary first step,” Svyrydenko said, adding that if Moscow instead opted for a limited pause, Kyiv would respond in kind.
Peace Talks Downgraded
Talks between the U.S., Ukraine and European officials to discuss ending Russia’s war in Ukraine faltered on Wednesday as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio abruptly cancelled his trip to London and negotiations were downgraded.
Rubio’s no show prompted a broader meeting of foreign ministers from Ukraine, Britain, France and Germany to be cancelled, although talks continued at a lower level. The U.S. would now be represented by Ukraine envoy General Keith Kellogg.
The downgrading of the talks comes at a critical time, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington could walk away if there was no progress on a deal soon. Trump raised the pressure on Sunday when he said he hoped Moscow and Kyiv would make a deal this week to end the three-year war.
A source close to the discussions said the downgrading of the trip came after Ukraine drafted a paper for the Europeans on Tuesday, in which it said there would be no discussions on territorial issues until “a full and unconditional ceasefire”.
The source said the apparent U.S. nervousness could indicate that the Ukrainian position did not align with what Washington’s representatives had agreed so far with the Russians.
(With inputs from Reuters)
