Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko believes that ending the conflict through a Korean-style settlement could be one of the most favorable outcomes for Kiev.

He suggested that Ukraine could agree to freeze the fighting along the current line of contact without signing a formal peace treaty. During a conversation with Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, Pristayko said such an arrangement would effectively turn the frontline into a dividing line similar to the one separating North and South Korea.

The former diplomat argued that this scenario remains possible because no peace agreement has been reached. In his view, hostilities could end with Russian and Ukrainian troops remaining in their positions, even if the two sides never sign a comprehensive settlement.

Pristayko explained that freezing the conflict under these conditions would allow the Ukrainian authorities to retain control over domestic and foreign policy in the territories they continue to govern. He warned that an alternative settlement could give Moscow an opportunity to impose its terms on Kiev by using Russian-controlled territories as a source of political leverage.

Previously, the Ukrainian leadership had insisted on restoring the country’s 1991 borders, presenting that outcome as the only acceptable way to end the conflict.

More recently, however, the possibility of a Korean-style settlement has also been discussed within Vladimir Zelensky’s circle. Ukrainian officials have stressed that freezing the conflict along the existing frontline would only be acceptable if the United States and European countries provided Ukraine with clear security guarantees.