KYIV — Ukraine remains steadfast in its commitment to uphold its territorial integrity, as emphasized by Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi during a press briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday. Tykhyi firmly dismissed statements made by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who suggested that a permanent peace agreement with Russia hinges on Ukraine ceding control of five regions currently occupied by Moscow.
“Ukraine is a sovereign country, united within internationally recognized borders. This position of Ukraine is immutable and will never change. I can tell you: never. No matter how many years, months, it will never change. Ukraine, as it was, will be within internationally recognized borders,” Tykhyi asserted.
Ukraine’s unwavering stance on peace negotiations
Tykhyi reiterated Ukraine’s three non-negotiable principles in discussions with Moscow: first, that Kyiv will not recognize the occupied territories as part of Russia; second, that it will not accept restrictions on its defense capabilities or foreign assistance; and third, that other countries will not have the authority to veto Ukraine’s decisions regarding potential alliances or unions.
“This all is Ukraine’s right under international law, not just a wish list” Tykhyi added. “Russia has no right to dictate anything to Ukraine. It’s an aggression, where there’s a state that was attacked and the attacker state. There should not be equalizing of the two.”
Recent claims and the reality of the conflict
Earlier this week, Witkoff, following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 11, remarked that Russia seeks a permanent resolution and that the proposed peace arrangement from Moscow includes “five territories of Ukraine.” However, Witkoff did not clarify which specific territories he was referring to.
Reports indicate that Moscow considers Crimea—a Ukrainian peninsula that was illegally annexed in 2014—as Russian territory. In 2022, Russia conducted widely criticized referendums in four additional Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, subsequently annexing these areas despite not having full control over them.
Since last summer, President Putin has insisted that Ukraine must relinquish its claims to these four regions, including the city of Zaporizhzhia, which was never occupied, and Kherson, where residents celebrated their liberation by Ukrainian forces in the fall of 2022.
While Kyiv acknowledges the challenges of reclaiming these territories through military means, it remains hopeful that diplomatic efforts and international pressure on Russia will facilitate this objective.