Land for Temporary Peace: Will Ukraine Be Forced into a Painful Solution?

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Ukraine may be forced to cede territory to Russia in order to reach a “temporary peace” with Moscow.

This was stated by Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko in an interview with the BBC aired on Friday.

Speaking in English, Klitschko said, “One of the scenarios… may involve giving up territory. It’s not fair, but it’s for peace—a temporary peace. It could be a temporary solution.”

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A “Painful Solution”

President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Klitschko has criticized in the past, may have to accept a “painful solution” for the country in order to stop the fighting.

At the same time, Ukraine will “never accept” Russian occupation of its territory, Klitschko emphasized, following overnight strikes that killed 12 people according to Ukrainian authorities.

More than one hundred days into Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the negotiations initiated by the U.S. administration to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine are stalling—particularly regarding potential territorial concessions after three years of war and the status of Crimea, which was unilaterally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Trump revealed this week that a deal with Russia is “very close” and blamed the Ukrainian president for blocking the negotiations.

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Russian Readiness

Klitschko’s remarks come a day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Moscow is ready to strike a deal to end the war in Ukraine. His comments followed a warning from Trump to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, in response to deadly strikes on Kyiv on Wednesday night.

The Russian attack, which targeted six regions with 70 missiles and 145 drones, killed 12 people in Kyiv according to local authorities. It occurred amid ongoing and tense negotiations led by Trump, especially over the issue of Crimea.

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On Thursday, Lavrov told CBS in an interview: “Trump is talking about a deal, and we are ready to reach one, but certain elements still require fine-tuning.”

He added, “There are signs that we are heading in the right direction,” and said that Trump “may be the only leader on this planet who understands the need to address the root causes of the situation.”

Trump also said this week he was “very close” to a settlement with Russia that could bring an end to the war that began in February 2022.

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