(Dan Tri) – The spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine responded after a German parliamentarian proposed to Kiev a plan to cede territory in exchange for a ceasefire with Russia.
Ukrainian forces’ artillery system opens fire in Donetsk (Photo: Reuters).
`If Ukraine accepts the temporary loss of territory, the Russian army will move closer to Germany, especially Saxony,` Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko announced on December 27.
Mr. Nikolenko’s comments came after German parliamentarian Michael Kretschmer, premier of Saxony state, proposed that the Ukrainian government temporarily cede territory in exchange for a ceasefire with Russia.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman emphasized that ceding Ukrainian territory will certainly lead to greater aggression by Russia and beyond Ukraine’s borders.
`We call on German politicians to face the truth: first, Chancellor Angela Merkel, and then Chancellor Olaf Scholz, made enormous political efforts to convince (Russian President Vladimir
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman emphasized that the path to peace in Europe lies in Russia’s defeat in the military campaign in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, congressman Kretschmer also said that Germany needs a change in policy towards Russia.
`Russia is our neighbor. An unpredictable neighbor. The idea of weakening Russia militarily, politically and economically so that it can no longer pose a threat to us is a concept that has been
Mr. Kretschmer has previously been criticized for comments related to Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, such as his publicly calling for a freeze in the conflict last August.
The Ukrainian public is generally opposed to the idea of territorial concessions in exchange for peace.
US officials also denied that they would seek to pressure Ukraine to reach a peace agreement with conditions unfavorable to Kiev.
Russia says Ukraine has no will for peace
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on December 27 that the administration of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has no will to achieve peace with Russia.
`We must establish that the Zelensky government does not have any will for peace. Its representatives are thinking about the terms of war, using quite aggressive rhetoric. Any ceasefire
`The ban on holding negotiations with the Russian leader issued by Mr. Zelensky on September 30, 2022 is still in effect. Draw your own conclusions,` Russia’s top diplomat added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized that the Russian side has never refused any peace negotiations with Ukraine.
Previously, Mr. Lavrov said that the more Kiev delays negotiations, the more difficult it will be to reach an agreement.
Russia has repeatedly declared its willingness to negotiate, but on the condition that Ukraine must acknowledge `new territorial realities`.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials announced that peace talks will only take place when Russia withdraws all troops from Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.