Kyiv Not Ready for Territorial Concessions or Compromises with Russia, Says Yermak

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, has stated that Kyiv is not prepared to make territorial concessions or engage in compromises with Russia. This was his response to former U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that he could quickly end military operations in the region.

“But we are not ready to compromise on very important things and values — independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty,” Yermak's words are quoted by Reuters.

The head of the Ukrainian president's office declined to evaluate Trump's proposals for conflict resolution, saying, “An honest answer is, let’s see.”

At the same time, Yermak mentioned that after the U.S. presidential elections, Ukraine will continue to lobby for support within the new administration. He added that regardless of who becomes the head of state as a result of the elections, Kyiv will support the decision made by the American people.

At the end of June, during a debate with Joe Biden, Donald Trump insisted that if he were still in office, Russia would not start military operations in Ukraine. He also stated that in the event of victory, he could halt military operations by January 2025.

Trump deemed Vladimir Putin's proposals unacceptable, under which new regions would remain part of Russia, and Ukraine would need to strengthen its non-aligned and non-nuclear status.

On July 2, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, during a visit to Kyiv, proposed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that a ceasefire be considered before peace talks with Russia. Mr. Zelenskyy has not publicly responded to this suggestion.