Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko has acknowledged that the people of Ukraine are tired of war and emphasised the need for negotiations with Russia. As a result of Russia's war of aggression, which has been going on for almost three and a half years, ‘everyone in our state, in our country, is tired of this war,’ Klitschko told the Bild newspaper in Kiev on Friday. The mayor of the Ukrainian capital called for a ‘diplomatic solution’ with Russia, in which territorial concessions were not ruled out.
‘Unfortunately, we have paid a huge price for this war: the lives of our patriots, our soldiers, our citizens,’ Klitschko added. Hundreds of cities have been destroyed and ‘a large part of Ukraine is occupied by Russia.’
When asked about Russia's demands for the cession of Ukrainian territories, Klitschko said it was ‘far too early’ to talk about it. Ultimately, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy must answer this question and ‘make difficult decisions,’ the 54-year-old added. However, some Ukrainians will ‘never be willing to give part of our country to Russia.’
US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska this Friday to discuss the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Zelensky has not been invited to the meeting. There are fears that Trump and Putin could reach agreements that are highly detrimental to Ukraine.
Trump has raised the possibility of a ‘territorial exchange’ between Russia and Ukraine. Zelensky has ruled out ceding Ukrainian territories to Russia.
The Europeans are demanding that Ukraine not be bypassed – and are insisting on being involved in a peace solution as well. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday: ‘The future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians.’ He added that Europeans must be ‘part of the solution.’
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