Ukraine is under pressure to cede part of its territory to Russia in order to conclude a peace agreement and end the war. However, forcing Ukraine to do so is illegal under international law.
This was stated by the diplomat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2010-2017) Oleksandr Levchenko to FREEDOM TV.
Kiev is under pressure from Washington to give up its territories – Crimea and the entire Donbas are mentioned – in order to reach a peace agreement. Levchenko, however, points out that even if Ukraine were to agree to something like this now, it would not be legally valid and would be in violation of international treaties.
“Anyone who has forced another country to cede its territory by force is subject to criminal prosecution. That is why Rubio does not say such things. This should be reminded to those who insist that Ukraine give up its territory“, explained the experienced Ukrainian diplomat.
Ukraine's sovereignty must be respected and its security guaranteed in the long term in any peace agreement with Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said today, quoted by Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the “Bloomberg” agency that participants in the US-brokered peace talks remain divided on the issue of territorial concessions. Elements of the US peace proposal require further discussion on “sensitive issues”, including security guarantees for Ukraine and control of its eastern regions.
“The US, Russia and Ukraine have different visions, and we do not have a unified opinion on the issue of Donbas,” Zelensky stressed in a telephone interview. He specified that Kiev is trying to conclude a separate agreement on security guarantees with Western allies, and especially with the US.