Ukrainian officials have told the outlet that territorial issues would be secondary in any peace negotiations with Russia
Kiev would consider security guarantees its top priority issue during potential peace negotiations with Moscow, several Ukrainian officials have told the New York Times.
In an article published on Wednesday, the outlet reported that as Ukrainian forces have steadily lost ground in recent months, some in Kiev have started placing less importance on regaining lost territory.
Top Ukrainian officials had previously insisted that they would not agree to cede any territories to Russia. Restoring Ukraine’s 1991 borders was among the main prerequisites for negotiations with Moscow listed in a ‘peace plan’ put forward by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky.
However, the chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s Defense and Intelligence committee, Roman Kostenko, has told the NYT that “nothing is more important” for Ukraine than security guarantees, and that any talks about ending the conflict should be based on them.
Another senior Ukrainian official, who spoke with the outlet on the condition of anonymity, stated that while “the territorial question is extremely important, it’s still the second question.”
“The first question is security guarantees,” the official said.
The anonymous source also noted that Kiev would want to ensure that any ceasefire line established in negotiations with Moscow would not hurt Ukraine’s economic recovery by leaving industrial areas “too insecure for investment.” The width of a demilitarized zone between the two countries would also be a key factor, the official said.
The New York Times noted that the shift in tone in Kiev may be linked to Donald Trump’s recent election victory in the US, which could spell less military aid for Ukraine’s forces once he takes office in January.
Throughout his election campaign, Trump has repeatedly stated that he would resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict “in 24 hours” but has not explained in detail how he would achieve this.
Meanwhile, Moscow has insisted throughout the conflict that any settlement must begin with Ukraine recognizing the “territorial realities,” and that Kiev would not retake its former regions – the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and the regions of Kherson, Zaporozhye and Crimea – that voluntarily joined Russia.
