Financial Times: Ukraine Refuses Territorial Concessions, Calls for Ceasefire
Financial Times reports Ukraine rejects territorial concessions to Russia, demands ceasefire as first step, and seeks $300B compensation from frozen Russian assets.
Ukraine has made clear it will not accept territorial concessions to Russia and insists that the first step toward peace must be a complete halt to hostilities, Financial Times reported, citing an official document.
According to the newspaper, Kyiv has rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to freeze the current front line in exchange for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from eastern parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
The report stated that Ukraine views Russia’s attempt to settle territorial questions before broader peace negotiations as a move that would create a fait accompli on the ground without offering Kyiv any lasting security.
In addition, the document cited by FT said that Kyiv demands full compensation for the conflict, which, according to the Ukrainian side, could potentially be covered by the $300 billion in Russian assets frozen in Western countries.
On August 18, U. S. President Donald Trump met with Volodymyr Zelensky and European Union leaders at the White House. The public portion of the talks lasted just under half an hour. Following the meeting, the Kremlin reported that Trump called Russian President Vladimir Putin to brief him on the outcome.