Zelensky's Office Comments on Kyiv's Plans for Offensive in Crimea and 'Strange' Negotiations with Moscow

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, has expressed confidence regarding Kyiv's plans to initiate offensive operations in Crimea. He shared this information with Politico.

Yermak did not specify the timeline for launching an attack on the peninsula.

According to Mykhailo Podolyak, the official representative of the President's Office, attempts by the West to persuade Ukraine to engage in negotiations with Moscow following Kyiv's "major military victories" are 'strange' and equate to a demand for capitulation. He stated to AFP, "When you have the initiative on the battlefield, it is somewhat strange to receive proposals such as 'after all, you can't achieve everything through military means; negotiations are necessary.'"

Podolyak emphasized that this would mean that the country that is 'restoring its territories must surrender to a country that is losing.'

Recently, U.S. media reported that some senior officials have started urging Ukraine to consider negotiations, a suggestion that President Zelensky has so far rejected.

Earlier this month, U.S. Army General Mark Milley commented that there should be an understanding that military victory, perhaps in the literal sense of the word, cannot be achieved solely through military means, assessing the 'window of opportunity for negotiations.'

According to Podolyak, Moscow has not made any direct proposals regarding peace negotiations to Kyiv, preferring to mediate and even raise the possibility of a ceasefire. He stated, 'Such conversations in Kyiv are perceived as a simple maneuver by the Kremlin to catch its breath on the battlefield and prepare for a new offensive. Russia does not want negotiations. It is conducting a communication campaign that is called 'negotiations.' He argued that the West cannot force Ukraine to negotiate. 'Today, even a slight pause only increases the losses that Ukraine has suffered,' the official said.