Ukraine rejects "land for peace" deal with Russia, warns of genocide, oppression

On November 19, Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, delivered a strong message to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, rejecting any notion of ceding land to Russia in exchange for promises of peace.

According to Sybiha, such a deal would leave millions at the mercy of Russian aggression, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“We will not accept any ‘land for peace’ deals. Such ideas will only mean leaving millions of people in the hands of the aggressor and subject to genocide, torture, and oppression,” he said.

"Given the current situation, the United States cannot afford to appear weak. Russia, Iran, and North Korea will interpret any sign of weakness as an opportunity to directly threaten American interests and security," Sybiha cautioned during a hearing of the Helsinki Commission.

The foreign minister’s comments were seen as a signal to President-elect Trump, who has pledged to pursue a policy of "peace through strength." However, Trump’s criticism of U.S. expenditure on Ukraine has raised concerns in Kyiv and among Ukraine's allies, with fears that his push to end the war might lead to difficult concessions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sybiha also condemned Putin's threats to use nuclear weapons as "blackmail" following President Biden's recent approval for Ukraine to use Western-supplied missiles to strike targets deep within Russia.

"At present, we are witnessing fresh efforts by the Kremlin to use nuclear saber-rattling to intimidate the West. Their updated nuclear doctrine and public rhetoric about the use of nuclear weapons are nothing more than blackmail," Sybiha stated.

"They have resorted to this tactic many times before when tough decisions were made. We must remain level-headed, clear-eyed, and not succumb to baseless fear."

Note that, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha‎ was in Washington marking 1,000 days of Ukraine’s defensive war against Russia, warning against an “existential challenge” for Western democracies in confronting lawlessness from regimes in Moscow, Tehran and Pyongyang. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev