Additional territories, children, and security guarantees: Ukraine defines ’red lines’ for peace deal - media
Ukraine has outlined a number of key issues that it will not concede during peace talks while the United States is trying to conclude a ceasefire agreement with Russia. Among them are the refusal to transfer the occupied territories to Russia, the return of people and security guarantees.
According to Censor.NET, The Independent reports this with reference to Ukrainian officials.
Senior Ukrainian sources with knowledge of the ongoing negotiations warn that few believe that Russia will accept a reasonable deal, adding: "We expect another trick."
While Donald Trump on Friday described the talks with Russia as "good and productive," Putin was accused of using stalling tactics as he claimed "nuances" and hinted that Ukraine would not be allowed to rearm, mobilize or receive Western military aid during the ceasefire.
Ukraine's "red lines" are:
- refusal to further transfer territories, despite the desire of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to take back four Ukrainian regions that have been partially occupied by the Russian military since 2014,
- the return of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia,
- the return of thousands of civilians illegally detained in Russia who are not considered prisoners of war and therefore will not be included in the prisoner of war exchange,
- the need for international security guarantees in case Putin violates the ceasefire agreement.
"We are really ready to make peace, but we need a lasting peace, not a short-term ceasefire. We don't want our children to fight in this battle," said a senior source, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Putin is playing games. We made a strong move - now it's his turn. We have proved that we are smart; we want peace - if Russia does not agree, the whole world will see that they are liars," Kyiv said.
It is noted that the key problem is Putin's demand that in any agreement Ukraine should fully cede Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which are partially occupied by the Russian military.
Within months of its full-scale invasion in 2022, Moscow "annexed" these regions by holding referendums in the occupied territories that were widely viewed by the international community as illegal and coercive.
Ukrainian officials told The Independent that they have accepted that the current front lines are frozen and that Russia is holding some territory while the ceasefire is in effect, but that ceding any additional territory would be a red line.
The source also noted that the "red lines" for Ukraine are the inadmissibility of restrictions on the size of the army and bans on participation in international organizations, including the EU and NATO.
