Ukrainian president: Trading territory for security guarantees not negotiable
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected any proposal to trade Ukrainian territory for security guarantees
LONDON, United Kingdom (MNTV) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected any proposal to trade Ukrainian territory for security guarantees under a reduced US-backed peace framework, insisting that Kyiv has no legal or moral authority to surrender its land.
“There were 28 points, now there are 20. We have aligned in this direction and quite frankly, the non-Ukrainian points have been removed,” Zelenskyy said in a video briefing quoted by Interfax-Ukraine. He stressed that no compromise has been reached on territorial integrity.
He said the issue of trading territory for security guarantees “is not on the table,” citing Ukraine’s constitution, international law, and what he described as Ukraine’s moral duty to defend its sovereignty.
Zelenskyy also rejected efforts to sideline the United States in peace negotiations, saying Kyiv values Washington’s military assistance and diplomatic pressure on Russia.
“The Europeans, our partners, are strong, but PURL is an opportunity to buy from the US precisely the weapons that the Europeans, unfortunately, do not have,” he said.
He acknowledged that US President Donald Trump holds a different vision for ending the war, and said divisions remain over the fate of Donbas and other occupied regions.
Zelenskyy travelled to London for high-level meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as European leaders push for stronger coordination with Washington.
European officials said new EU and US sanctions are beginning to affect Russia’s economy, offering Kyiv increased leverage as talks enter a sensitive stage. Officials reiterated that any ceasefire must be “just and lasting.”
Zelenskyy also confirmed he is considering replacing the head of the presidential office following Andriy Yermak’s resignation amid a corruption probe, naming Defence Minister Denys Shmyhal and First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as potential candidates.
“I have options for Minister Shmyhal or Minister Fedorov, but there is a challenge here because the Rada must remove them before they are appointed, and we don’t want it to be like this game of Jenga, when you pull out one piece and everything falls apart,” he said.
He added that he would travel overnight from London to Italy following a phone call with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
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