Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signaled readiness to negotiate a land exchange with Russia as a potential path to ending the three-year war, but only if U.S. President Donald Trump can mediate the talks.
In an interview with The Guardian on Tuesday, Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine would consider ceding part of Russia’s Kursk region, which Kyiv has controlled since a surprise military incursion last August. However, he remained vague on which Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories he would demand in return.
“We will swap one territory for another,” Zelenskyy stated, adding, “But all our territories are important; there is no priority.”
Trump has repeatedly expressed his intention to bring an end to the war, claiming he has made progress in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, Putin is open to negotiations and “wants people to stop dying in the war.”
However, the Trump administration acknowledges that any peace deal would require concessions from both Kyiv and Moscow.
With geopolitical stakes high and the war dragging on, the prospect of a land swap introduces a new dimension to diplomatic efforts. Whether such a deal can be brokered remains uncertain, but Ukraine’s willingness to engage in territorial negotiations marks a significant shift in the ongoing conflict.
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