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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may have specific conditions he won’t concede as he considers negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the Russia-Ukraine war, according to analysts who spoke to Newsweek. The meeting between Zelensky and other world leaders at the White House on Monday discussed potential peace talks.
Why It Matters
Zelensky met with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders to discuss possible negotiations with Putin, whose invasion began in February 2022. Despite years of efforts by world leaders to end this bloody conflict, both sides remain divided over key points for a ceasefire.
What To Know
Key obstacles include security guarantees from the West, Ukrainian membership in NATO, and territorial issues. Putin has demanded maximalist concessions, including Russian control of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and no NATO membership for Ukraine. While Zelensky may concede temporary Russian control of occupied Ukrainian land like Crimea, he will not accept legal recognition of Russia’s annexation.
Matthew Pauly, a Michigan State University historian, told Newsweek that “Zelensky might concede temporary Russian control of occupied Ukrainian land but cannot and will not recognize the legal status of Russian annexation.”
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Security guarantees from the West are critical. A guarantee ‘like NATO’ sounds good, but details matter. Why not just outright membership?
NATO membership and maintaining Ukrainian sovereignty are essential to Ukraine’s right to self-determination as a nation. These concessions are unlikely.
While Ukraine may not join NATO soon due to ongoing war, it will want this option open in the future for its own interests. The EU also wants Russia from threatening Ukraine again post-conflict.
What Concessions Would Ukrainians Support?
Zelensky must balance various interests as he works towards ending the war. While the U.S. aims for a ceasefire soon, Europe prefers maintaining deterrence against Moscow. From Kyiv’s perspective, continuing the military campaign comes at high costs of lives, economy, and democracy.
Most Ukrainians may accept temporary loss of land but not sovereignty. Ukraine has built defenses in eastern regions Russia now demands; losing this would expose it like Czechoslovakia after Sudetenland handover to Nazi Germany in 1938.
Crimea was never for return. Zelensky should be cautious about admitting this as negotiating positions shouldn’t be given up prematurely.
What People Are Saying
Historian Matthew Pauly noted that Russia’s insistence on a peace agreement instead of ceasefire shows strategic maneuvering to prolong hostilities and allow continued bombings of Ukrainian cities.
Mark Storella, former ambassador to Zambia and Boston University professor, said everyone is concerned if Putin wants peace only under maximalist terms. Russia will accept peace only if it gets demands or sees it as step towards eventual complete capitulation by Ukraine over time.
What Happens Next
Trump is pushing for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin to discuss peace talks. Whether either side concedes or the war continues remains uncertain.
