Yermak: Zelensky's team will not allow war to freeze

Presidential office head Andrii Yermak said that the current leadership will not agree to a "freezing" of Russia's war against Ukraine following discussions on the Ukrainian Peace Formula in Switzerland, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on Jan. 14.

"This president and this team of his will never agree and will not accept any freezing of the conflict. This is unacceptable to Ukrainian society... Ukraine does not need frozen conflicts. Ukraine needs a just peace,” he said.

Yermak noted that the countries backing Ukraine’s ten-point peace plan are offering different opinions and ideas on how to achieve peace, but stressed that it must be done within the principles of international law and the UN Charter.

The minister added that Ukraine’s partners are not pushing Kyiv to give up the occupied territories.

Territorial concessions are largely unpopular in Ukraine. A poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on Dec. 14 found that 74% of Ukrainian citizens are against the idea.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko said last month that giving up territory to Russia will inevitably lead to future Russian aggression.

80 countries and one international organization attended the fourth meeting of national security advisors regarding the Peace Formula in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 14.

According to the Swiss Foreign Ministry statement, the main goal of the meetings is “to finalize the talks at the level of national security advisers on principles for a lasting and just peace in Ukraine.”

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