Zaluzhny: Ukraine can give part of its territory to Russia in exchange for peace
Valery Zaluzhny
Valery Zaluzhny, the former head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and now Ukraine's ambassador to London, said that a part of the territories could be handed over to Russia in order to end hostilities. This statement may indicate fundamental changes in the leadership of Ukraine.
In an interview with the British edition of The Daily Telegraph, Zaluzhny said that security issues are more important than territorial disputes for Kiev at this stage.
Giving the example of the orchard , he said: "If my neighbor has appropriated a part of my garden, we have to solve this problem. If not now, our children will do it."
These words of Zalujni caused intense discussions . After all, earlier the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the return of all the lost territories is an indispensable condition for achieving peace. This was also written in the "victory plan" presented last week.
According to the British publication, Zalujnyi's statement may indicate fundamental changes in the leadership of Ukraine, as the topic of territorial concessions was previously prohibited. The Ukrainian military sources interviewed by the journalists of the newspaper also said that they are in favor of ending the conflict as soon as possible, noting the huge losses and the impossibility of a quick victory.
Meanwhile, the West believes that a prolonged war could weaken Russia's position in 2025-2026, but peace is more important to Ukrainians now.
Zaluzhny, who served as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine until February 2024, was dismissed after a disagreement with President Zelensky. He was later appointed ambassador to London. Currently, the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is headed by Alexander Sirsky.
Russian President Vladimir Putin set his conditions for peace in June: all Ukrainian troops must be withdrawn from the four territories claimed by Moscow - Donetsk , Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson. In addition, he demanded that Kiev not join NATO and maintain its neutral status.
Zelenskyy called these demands an ultimatum, and his "victory plan" presented in the Verkhovna Rada includes the continuation of hostilities and Ukraine's entry into NATO.
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