Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has issued a stark warning against the notion of Ukraine ceding territory to Russia in exchange for peace, Politico reports.

This stance comes amid ongoing debates about potential paths to end the war in Ukraine, with some voices suggesting territorial concessions as a possible solution. In particular, Czech President Petr Pavel, a former NATO general, said on 24 September that Ukraine may need to accept Russian occupation of some territories, challenging the prevailing public stance of many European officials.

In an interview on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Frederiksen expressed skepticism about Russia’s intentions in such a scenario.

“Do you really believe that Russia would just say, ‘OK, thank you,’ and then do nothing else? I don’t,” Frederiksen said, according to Politico.

She emphasized the need for a more assertive approach, saying, “We need to push Russia one day to negotiate on peace, but it has to be driven by a wish for Russia to actually have peace.”

The Danish leader also firmly opposed China’s role in the ongoing war. Frederiksen accused Beijing of supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine, saying, “I don’t think it would be possible for Russia to have a full-scale war for more than two-and-a-half years now without help from China.”

The Prime Minister advocated for a reassessment of EU-China trade relations, citing concerns about Europe’s dependency on China. “I think we need to be less dependent on China,” Frederiksen said, adding, “Dependency is always a mistake when you find out that you don’t always share the same values and interests.”

The Danish Prime Minister’s comments come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares to address the UN General Assembly and meet with US officials in Washington. Frederiksen expressed interest in hearing more about Zelenskyy’s “victory plan,” noting that “none of us in Europe have asked for war.”

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