Advisor to Ukrainian President: Not ready to compromise with Russia to end the war

Ukraine is not ready to compromise with Russia and give up territory to end the war, a senior Ukrainian official said on Tuesday when asked about US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s statement that he could end the conflict quickly.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told reporters during a visit to Washington that Kyiv would listen to any advice on how to achieve a “just peace” in the war. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“But we are not prepared to compromise on the very important things and values ​​… independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said.

Yermak’s visit came ahead of the NATO summit in the US capital next week, where Ukraine is expected to be the main topic of discussion.

Trump, the Republican challenger to President Joe Biden, said during a debate between the two last week that if re-elected in November, he would quickly resolve the war in Ukraine before taking office in January.

He has not given details of how he plans to do this, but Reuters reported last week that two of Trump’s top advisers had presented him with a plan that included a threat to cut US aid if Kyiv did not begin negotiations with Moscow.

However, Trump said during the debate that he did not accept the conditions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin had declared that Russia would end the war if Kiev agreed to give up the four regions in the east and south of the country claimed by Moscow.

When asked how Ukraine assessed Trump’s handling of the war, Yermak said: “Honest answer: I don’t know. We’ll see.”

Ukraine will lobby a new US administration for continued support, he said, adding that Ukraine enjoys bipartisan support in Washington and polls show that most Americans still support Ukraine even after two years of war.

“It will be … a decision of the American people. We will respect that choice,” Yermak said of the November 5 presidential election.

The United States has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion in military aid since 2022. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday the U.S. would soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance to Ukraine.