Kyiv, 9 December (H.S.): Dateline: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted on Monday that Kyiv neither has a legal nor moral right to cede any part of its territory to Russia, rejecting suggestions of territorial concessions as part of peace negotiations to end Moscow’s nearly four-year invasion.“Do we envision ceding territories? We have no legal right to do so under Ukrainian law, our Constitution, or international law—and we have no moral right either,” Zelensky said during an online press conference.

He added that while the United States had explored possible compromise frameworks, “Russia continues to demand land, and we are not prepared to give up anything.”

The Ukrainian president acknowledged that territorial questions remain among the most contentious points in talks involving US and European partners. “There are serious difficulties surrounding the territorial issue, and so far, no compromise has been reached,” he said.

A senior official close to the discussions told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the fate of Ukrainian territory remains the “most problematic” issue under negotiation. Security guarantees for Kyiv have also emerged as a critical sticking point.“

The key question is what our partners will actually do if new Russian aggression occurs,” Zelensky noted. “At the moment, we have received no clear answer to that.”Following meetings in London, Zelensky travelled to Brussels for consultations with NATO leaders and senior European Commission officials.

He said Ukrainian and European negotiators were reviewing a list of 20 proposed points submitted by the US side and planned to send counter-proposals to Washington by Tuesday evening.

Zelensky emphasised that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are “non-negotiable,” reinforcing his longstanding stance that any peace deal must fully align with national and international law.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar