Ukraine prioritises security guarantees, not territory, given Trump's victory – NYT

The New York Times writes that Ukrainian officials have been saying for months that they would not give up territory occupied by Russia in any peace settlement. However, with the US President-elect Donald Trump now pushing for an "accelerated timetable for negotiations", it is placing as much importance on obtaining security guarantees as it does on where the line of contact might be drawn.

Source: NYT

Details: As Ukrainian troops steadily lose ground in the east, two senior Ukrainian officials said that protecting Ukraine's interests in potential talks would depend not on borders, which are likely to be determined by fighting, but on what guarantees exist to ensure that the ceasefire is respected.

Quoted from Roman Kostenko, Chairman of the Defence and Intelligence Committee of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament): "Talks should be based on guarantees. For Ukraine, nothing is more important."

Details: Another senior Ukrainian official spoke on condition of anonymity in order to be more frank on sensitive topics: "The territorial question is extremely important, but it’s still the second question. The first question is security guarantees."

Kostenko also noted that Ukraine establishes its borders based on its 1991 declaration of independence. Since then, Russia has gained control of about 20% of Ukrainian land, but Kyiv will not officially give up its claims to any territory under Russian occupation.

Quote: "That appears to be the approach Ukraine is taking to justify any possible deal in which Russia would retain control of Ukrainian land. In October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, discussing a cease-fire, said ‘Everyone understands that no matter what path we take, legally no one will recognise the occupied territories as belonging to other countries.’"

Background:

• US President-elect Donald Trump may soon appoint a special envoy "to lead negotiations" on ending the Russo-Ukrainian war.
• Last week, The Wall Street Journal claimed that Trump's plan to honour his pledge to "end the war in Ukraine quickly" includes the proposal of freezing the front lines along the current war zone, establishing a demilitarised zone, and implementing a 20-year moratorium on Ukraine's NATO membership.
• Trump is known to have already spoken with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, urging him not to escalate the war in Ukraine and reminding him of the substantial US military presence in Europe.

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