Ukraine's offer to swap Kursk territory dismissed by Kremlin
Russia will never entertain discussions about exchanging its territories, stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned that he would suggest to Russia an exchange involving part of the Kursk region for the territories occupied by Moscow.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially confirmed for the first time that he would offer Russia an exchange of part of the Kursk region for Ukrainian territory
- We will swap one territory for another - he stated, but added that he is uncertain as to which parts of the land currently occupied by Russia Ukraine will request in return.
- Ukrainian formations will be expelled from this territory. They will be destroyed, [they] will be driven away - said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday. - Russia has never discussed and will not discuss the topic of exchanging its territory - he reiterated.
Putin stopped discussing Kursk
In December 2024, Ukrainian soldiers informed BBC News that they had received orders to maintain control over the part of the Kursk region they had controlled since August, at least until the inauguration of Trump, which occurred on 20 January 2025.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasised the necessity to "push out" Ukrainian troops from Russian territory. However, since January, he has ceased publicly mentioning the situation in the Kursk region.
In early January, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a new offensive, advancing two miles, and in February, they breached defences southeast of Sudzha – in the area of Machnivka and Cherkaska Konopelka villages – and took control of the village of Fanaseyevka.
