Speaking to reporters in Washington ahead of next week’s NATO summit, Yermak signaled that, while Kiev is open to any advice that could help to end hostilities with Moscow and achieve a “just peace,” Ukraine’s red lines remain unchanged.
“We [are] not ready to go to the compromise for the very important things and values… independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty,” he said, as quoted by Reuters.
He also weighed in on a plan to settle the Ukraine conflict, which was reportedly drawn up by advisers to Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. This road map reportedly proposes to establish an initial ceasefire based on the battle lines during peace negotiations, while allowing Kiev to refrain from formally ceding any disputed territories to Moscow. As part of the plan, Russia would reportedly be promised that Ukraine’s NATO accession talks would be put on hold.
Yermak, however, was cautious in his assessment of the supposed plan. “Honest answer: I don’t know. Let’s see,” he said, adding that Ukraine would continue to seek support from the US after the November election regardless of who wins.
His remarks echoed those of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who earlier said the “value of any plan lies in the nuances and in taking into account the real state of affairs on the ground”. On Wednesday, Peskov denied that any talks had taken place between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump on the issue.
Last month, Putin floated a new plan to settle the Ukraine conflict, saying Moscow was ready to immediately open peace talks with Ukraine once it withdraws troops from Donbass and two other of its former regions and agrees to commit to a neutral status. Kiev and its Western backers have rejected the offer, as Ukraine has been promoting Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’, demanding that Russia withdraw from all territories it claims as its own.
