Zelensky aide says Ukraine not ready to compromise with Russia
Ukraine is not ready to compromise with Russia and give up any territory to end the war, a senior Ukrainian official said on July 2 when asked about US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s claim that he could quickly end the conflict.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, told reporters during a visit to Washington that Kiev would listen to any advice on how to achieve a "reasonable peace" in the war that has been raging in Ukraine since February 2022.
However, he added: “But we are not ready to compromise on very important things and values… independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
Mr Yermak's visit comes ahead of next week's NATO summit in the US capital, where the Ukraine issue is expected to be a key topic of discussion.
Donald Trump, the Republican candidate who is challenging incumbent President Joe Biden, said during the debate between the two politicians last week that if he is re-elected in November, he will quickly resolve the war in Ukraine before taking office in January.
Mr Trump did not provide details on how he would do that, but Reuters reported last week that two of his key advisers presented him with a plan that included threatening to cut off US aid if Kiev did not enter into talks with Moscow.
However, during the debate, Mr. Trump said he did not accept the terms of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr. Putin has said that Russia would end the war if Kiev agreed to hand over four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine to hold referendums to join Russia.
Asked how Ukraine assessed Mr Trump's handling of the war, Yermak said: "Honest answer: I don't know. We'll see."
The official said Ukraine would lobby the new US administration to continue supporting them, adding that Ukraine had bipartisan support in Washington and polls showed most Americans still supported Ukraine after two years of war.
"That will be... the decision of the American people. We will respect this choice," Mr. Yermak said about the US presidential election on November 5.
The United States has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion in military aid since 2022. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on July 2 that the United States would soon announce more than $2.3 billion in new security assistance for Ukraine.
