11:07 11-08-2025

FT: Kyiv’s Refusal of Territorial Concessions ‘Unrealistic’

Financial Times reports Kyiv’s refusal to cede territory to Russia is becoming unrealistic as Ukrainian forces lose ground and face growing manpower shortages.

The Ukrainian government’s stance of categorically rejecting any territorial concessions to Russia is becoming increasingly untenable given the current situation along the front line, where the initiative lies with Russian forces on all sectors, the Financial Times has reported.

The article states that Kyiv’s position on the impossibility of ceding territory is principled but, under present circumstances, unrealistic.

Citing assessments from most analysts, the publication notes that Ukrainian forces continue to lose ground. One of the key challenges for the Ukrainian military, according to the author, is the growing shortage of manpower at the front.

The report also suggests that Kyiv’s de facto acknowledgment of Russian control over certain territories — a reality on the ground — could become a necessary element of broader peace negotiations.