Ukraine’s top lawmakers and President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday laid out hard red lines for any peace deal with Russia, warning that Moscow is pushing the world to legitimize its land grabs.
Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk told the Crimea Platform summit in Stockholm that Ukraine will not agree to “any legal recognition of Russia’s occupation,” any limits on its Defense Forces, or any veto on its future alliances.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
EU and NATO membership, he said, must be part of Ukraine’s security guarantees – and frozen Russian assets should become the “price of aggression.”
He said Kyiv expects a “fair decision” on those assets when EU leaders meet on Dec. 18–19.
Zelensky: Putin’s demand for recognition is the “main problem”
Speaking to the Swedish parliament via video link, Zelensky said the “main problem” in the talks is Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s demand for legal recognition of the territory Russia has “stolen.”
“This would break the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he told lawmakers, stressing that “borders cannot be changed by force.”
“Keep pressure on Russia. Russia is still killing people,” he added.
Zelensky earlier said Kyiv continues to work closely with Washington to ensure any compromise “strengthens, not weakens” Ukraine, with priorities including an “all-for-all” prisoner swap and the return of abducted Ukrainian children.
Talks intensify as negotiators hammer out revised framework
The remarks came as Ukrainian, US, and European officials wrapped up intensive talks in Geneva, where Kyiv and Washington said they had drafted a “refined peace framework” and made major progress toward a potential deal.
Other Topics of Interest
Zelensky Willing to Accept ‘Majority’ of Peace Proposal to End War, Starmer Says
The British premier told a meeting of Coalition of the Willing leaders as well as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that peace talks in Ukraine “are moving in a positive direction.”
The push comes as US President Donald Trump has pressed hard for a settlement based on a 28-point plan that sparked anger in Europe for tilting toward Moscow.
The leaked version proposed territorial concessions, limits on Ukraine’s military, and a permanent NATO ban – key Kremlin demands.
European capitals warned the terms would reward aggression. Negotiators spent the weekend rewriting large parts of the proposal, narrowing gaps on the size of Ukraine’s army, control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, and prisoner exchanges.
But the biggest issues – territory and Ukraine’s NATO path – were left for direct talks between Zelensky and Trump, a meeting expected soon.
US negotiators have warned Kyiv that the coming months may be decisive, cautioning that Ukraine could lose more territory if the battlefield situation worsens.
Washington also presented a separate 10-year security pact modeled on NATO’s Article 5, laying out coordinated support if Russia attacks again.
Zelensky has appealed for unity as the talks accelerate, urging Ukraine’s political class to “stop the bickering” at what officials describe as a critical moment.
If Kyiv and Washington finalize the remaining points – and secure European backing – US officials plan to take the plan to Moscow.