Ukraine is willing to surrender some of its territory to Russia if it means ending Moscow’s invasion, a major news website in Germany has reported.
Der Spiegel, which is highly sympathetic to Kyiv’s defensive war efforts, reported on October 11 that authorities in the Ukrainian capital no longer believe a total victory over Russia is possible.
Instead, the growing feeling is that territorial concessions to Russian President Vladimir Putin will need to be made in the name of peace.
“We believed that victory must be the unconditional surrender of Putin’s Russia,” one anonymous official admitted to the outlet, before adding that the government now believed that such a position was “mistaken” and that they now felt any peace deal “must also be beneficial for Russia”.
Some senior Ukrainian officials have denied the report. Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior advisor to the country’s presidential office, telling The Kyiv Independent that no peace plan involving the ceding of territory was being envisioned.
The publication also noted that a majority of Ukrainians polled on the issue said they were against the surrendering of any territory to Russia. According to data gathered in July, 55 per cent said they disagreed with any such move.
It added that figure was down on previous polling, with 65 per cent having said they were against in February, and 74 per cent in December 2023.
Ukraine’s timetable for EU accession talks is unrealistic, Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski told President Volodymyr Zelensky during his recent visit to Kyiv. https://t.co/zPiXd7tQra
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) September 17, 2024
According to Der Spiegel, Kyiv’s drift towards wanting to acquiesce to some of Moscow’s demands for the sake of peace came as the country faced greater difficulty in fending off the Kremlin’s troops.
The publication described Ukraine’s armed forces as losing territory to Russia at an increasing pace, although the invaders were said to be experiencing high casualty rates.
Questions remain over the possible implications of a Donald Trump regaining the US presidency in January 2025, with many speculating that the Republican would take a less favourable position on Ukraine than current President Joe Biden.
Overall morale in Ukraine among the population and political class is allegedly poor, with another unnamed official telling the outlet that the situation would continue to look dire no matter who won the forthcoming US presidential election.
“Whether it’s Trump or Harris, the Americans will slowly but surely withdraw,” the official said.
“The prognosis is poor. People don’t really want to fight anymore. The injustices of war could tear society apart.”
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— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) September 11, 2024
