Ukraine says it does not accept any agreement with ‘territorial concessions’ with Russia

Mr. Mykhailo Podolyak – adviser to Ukrainian President Zelensky and main negotiator of Ukraine – Photo: REUTERS

Advisor to the President of Ukraine Zelensky and the main negotiator of Ukraine, Mr. Mykhailo Podolyak refuse consent ceasefire and said Kiev would not accept any agreement “with elements of territorial concessions” with Russia.

Speaking to Reuters at a heavily guarded site recently, Mr. Podolyak said: “The war will not stop (after the concessions). It will only pause for a while. They (Russia) will start launch a new, even bloodier and larger-scale attack”.

According to him, making concessions will be counterproductive for Ukraine because Russia will fight back harder if a fight breaks out.

Over the past week, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi have called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine. Russia’s TASS news agency quoted the Russian Defense Ministry as saying the call was “an initiative of the US side”.

Currently, peace talks between Ukraine and Russia have stalled. Both Russia and Ukraine blame each other for this. The most recent round of direct negotiations between the two countries took place at the end of March in Istanbul, Turkey.

In a speech on the night of May 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said: “The situation in Donbass is extremely difficult. Russian troops are trying to attack the cities of Sloviansk and Sievierodonetsk, but Ukrainian forces are blocking the step. their progress”.

Also on May 21, Ukrainian forces in rebel-held areas of Lugansk and Donetsk said they repelled nine attacks and destroyed five tanks and 10 other armored vehicles in 24 hours. before.

According to Reuters, Polish President Andrzej Duda has returned to Ukraine to visit and will address Ukraine’s parliament on May 22.