Ukraine resists territorial concessions amid Trump pressure

In a Thursday interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Ukraine's President's advisor, Mykhailo Podolak, declared that Kyiv does not intend to make territorial concessions to Russia.

After taking office, Podolak addressed suggestions that the American administration under Donald Trump would urge Kyiv to make territorial concessions to Moscow.

"I do not think that an attacked country should stop resisting. We have been fighting for three years, and now we should give up our sovereignty?" the advisor to President Zelensky rhetorically asked.

Podolak remarked on Trump's intentions to halt the current situation at the front, noting that Trump is a leader who strives to be in the top position. The discussed reported plans centre around making concessions to Russia, which align with Putin's ideas. By following these, Trump would find himself in a subordinate position, something he would be unwilling to accept.

The advisor to the Ukrainian President also responded to claims from American media indicating that Kyiv might consent to a ceasefire involving the ceding of occupied territories to Russia. He questioned the rationale behind accepting such an agreement, pointing out that Putin aims to dismantle Ukraine and assert control over Europe.

According to Podolak, Trump has tools that could lead to the end of the conflict. He mentioned control over oil prices and "economic sanctions that would truly hit Moscow."

"In my opinion, this will be Trump's line; he is someone who can take drastic steps," he assessed.

Podolak emphasised that urging Ukraine to relinquish part of its territory would be submissiveness to Vladimir Putin. "Kyiv should not be the one to make concessions," he concluded.