President Volodymyr Zelensky in his evening address on Aug. 9 rebuked Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for Kyiv to cede Ukrainian territory to end Russia’s war, warning that a lack of a “genuine peace” may give Russia the opportunity to reinvade.
Zelensky warned that if Russia does not face punitive action, it will eventually restart its aggression towards Ukraine, citing a lack of swift action during Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 as well as delayed assistance ahead of the start of the full-scale invasion.
“(Putin) was allowed to take Crimea, and this led to the occupation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He did not receive preventive punishment when he amassed a contingent on our borders. This led to the full-scale war and the occupation of even more parts of Ukraine. Now Putin wants to be forgiven for seizing the south of our Kherson region, Zaporizhzhia, the entire territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, and Crimea,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
“We will not allow this second Russian attempt to divide Ukraine. Knowing Russia – where there is a second, there will be a third. That is why we stand firm on clear Ukrainian positions,” the president added.
Zelensky’s comments ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin on Aug. 15 in Alaska, where the two parties will meet to reportedly discuss Putin’s proposal of a ceasefire plan that involves halting hostilities in exchange for Kyiv ceding its eastern territories to Russia.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Aug. 9, citing European and Ukrainian officials, that discussions between the EU, Ukraine, and U.S. amounted to a rejection of Russia’s proposal, instead offering a counterproposal to U.S. officials ahead of a planned meeting.
Earlier in the day, Zelensky firmly rejected the idea of ceding any Ukrainian territory to end Russia’s war, stating that “Ukrainians will not gift their land to the occupier.”
Despite the rejection of the most recent proposal, Zelensky reaffirmed in his evening address his belief that Trump will be able to secure a just peace in Ukraine.
“I have not yet heard any of our partners express doubts about America’s ability to ensure that the war ends. The President of the United States has the leverage and the determination,” Zelensky said.
“Ukraine has supported all of President Trump’s proposals, starting back in February. A ceasefire – all formats have been supported.”
As Russia has continues to increase the frequency and intensity of attacks on Ukrainian cities, Zelensky and European allies have repeatedly called on the United States to implement additional sanctions on Russia to pressure Putin into a just peace. Despite his self-imposed deadline to impose fresh sanctions if no deal was reached, Trump failed on Aug. 8 to implement the new economic pressure.
“Everyone can clearly see Putin’s tactics. He fears sanctions and is doing everything to get out from under them. He wants to exchange a pause in the war, in the killings, for the legalization of the occupation of our land,” Zelensky said.
“We must end the war with a dignified peace based on a clear and reliable security architecture. Our partners are ready to help us with this,” Zelensky concluded.
Ukraine, Europe reject Putin’s ceasefire proposal, present counterproposal to US ahead of Trump-Putin meeting, WSJ reports
Ukrainian and European officials rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a ceasefire in exchange for Kyiv to cede its eastern territories to Russia, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Aug. 9.
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