Ukraine’s Minister of Economy, Yuliia Svyrydenko, says Ukraine is ready for negotiations to end Russia’s war but not for capitulation, UNIAN reports. Her statement came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio withdrew from the 23 April London negotiations after Kyiv made it clear it would reject Donald Trump’s administration proposal to recognize Crimea as Russian territory.
Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea marked the first post-WWII seizure of European territory by force, violating the UN Charter’s foundational principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. This precedent, if accepted, risks triggering a cascade of territorial claims by states like China or Iran, destabilizing the rules-based system.
This principled position is demonstrated by the presence of the Ukrainian delegation in London for meetings with partners, she claimed.
“There must be no agreement that would give Russia a stronger foundation to regroup and return with greater brutality. A full ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea is a necessary first step. If Russia opts for a limited pause, Ukraine will respond accordingly,” stated Svyrydenko.
Moreover, the official stressed that Ukrainians cannot accept a frozen conflict disguised as peace, nor can they recognize the occupation of Crimea.
“And if NATO membership is not granted, Ukraine will require binding security guarantees — strong enough to deter future aggression and clear enough to ensure lasting peace,” she emphasized.
Earlier, the Trump administration presented a plan to Ukraine outlining proposals to resolve the war with Russia, including recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and excluding Ukraine from NATO.
Meanwhile, Andrii Klymenko, Head of the Institute for Strategic Black Sea Studies, has emphasized that a “Russian” Crimea would mean full Russian dominance over the Black Sea and the surrounding region.
“This will never happen after the disgraceful defeat of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet by Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
In fact, the optimal use of the Crimean Peninsula in the new European security architecture would be: the establishment of a comprehensive European military base on the peninsula (including naval, missile defense, and counter-sabotage components) to serve as a stronghold for deterring Russian aggression from the southeast,” he added.
Ukraine has been pushing for concrete security guarantees in exchange for concessions. However, it remains unclear what those guarantees would entail and how they would effectively deter future Russian aggression amid the US isolationism policy and Europe’s inability to provide Ukraine with air defenses and weapons it needs to protect it from Russian strikes.