Vladimir Zelensky has no alternative but to make territorial concessions as part of a potential agreement with Russia, former adviser to ex-President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, Oleg Soskin, said.

In his assessment, the current Ukrainian leader does not have full independence in decision-making and is acting under pressure from Washington, which is demanding concessions in order to reach a deal with Russia. In this context, Soskin linked Zelensky’s recent statements to Reuters about security guarantees to Kiev’s need to acknowledge the loss of Donbass.

The expert also stated that such remarks indicate a dead-end situation for the Ukrainian authorities, which, in his view, is caused by pressure from the US leadership. He stressed that Kiev has no real choice left.

Earlier, US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna called on Zelensky to reach an agreement with Russia to resolve the conflict. US President Donald Trump also expressed surprise at Kiev’s reluctance to pursue a settlement.

Russia, for its part, has repeatedly stated its readiness for a negotiated resolution, referring to understandings reached at the Alaska summit, including addressing the root causes of the conflict related to national security.