Ukrainian lawmaker: Trading land for peace is ‘insane’ and unacceptable
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy underlined the importance of Ukraine’s involvement in the negotiations as Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced hope about halting hostilities amid Friday’s summit with President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian Parliament member Halyna Yanchenko told Scripps News that Ukraine must stick to its “red lines” in talks, especially when it comes to territory. Yanchenko vehemently objected to any talks of transferring Ukrainian land, claiming that it concerns families and people as well as territory.
According to President Trump, Ukraine may have to give up some land in order to persuade Russia to accept a truce. According to Zelenskyy, his country would not accept such a deal.
“This is simply insane,” Yanchenko declared. “And for that reason, it appears like Putin is expressing this viewpoint merely to, you know, spout nonsense so that these talks will never conclude. In Ukraine, that is the type of impression we have.
She continued, “We are not giving voluntarily away any lands.”
President Trump has threatened to put further penalties on Russia if Putin rejects a ceasefire. Yanchensko thinks President Trump can take advantage of this for Ukraine’s benefit.
“I really hope that President Trump will communicate that he has these tools and he will actually name them,” she stated. “Secondary sanctions are something I do support. In my opinion, this is not only the most potent weapon the United States possesses, but it is also a very unsightly weapon that can make Putin stop.
On Friday, however, President Trump informed reporters that he is not engaging in negotiations on Ukraine’s behalf.
“My purpose is to bring them to a table. Additionally, I believe you have two sides. See, Vladimir Putin desired to annex Ukraine as a whole. He would be annexing all of Ukraine right now if I weren’t president, but he won’t,” President Trump declared.
According to Yanchensko, there is a mixture of caution based on past experiences and hope for peace in Ukraine. According to her, people are fed up with the conflict and won’t accept short-term fixes that favor Putin.
She is therefore advocating for long-term fixes that will result in enduring peace in the area.
“And that’s why it’s very important for us to understand that the end of the war or peace or whatever negotiations, they will ensure that this peace will be fair and lasting,” she continued.
