 "Russia's Deputy head of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev takes part in a wreath laying ceremony marking Defender of the Fatherland Day at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin Wall in Moscow, Russia, February 23, 2024. Reuters file")
Russia has called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s offer to swap territories as part of the negotiation to end the nearly three-year-long war a “nonsense”.
The comments came from Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s powerful Security Council who said Moscow had shown that it can achieve “peace through strength”, including through drone and missile strikes which hit Kyiv on Wednesday.
In an interview with The Guardian, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he will offer to give up the Kursk region if US President Donald Trump successfully negotiates a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
He said, “We will swap one territory for another. " He added that he is not yet sure which Russian-held territory of Ukraine he will demand in return.
Zelenskyy’s offer was rejected by the Kremlin whose spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “This is impossible. Russia has never and will never discuss the topic of exchanging its territory.”
Ukrainian forces rushed over the Russian border in August last year to wrest control over swathes of territory it hopes will be key to any future deal to end the grinding conflict.
Kursk has emerged as a key battleground in the Russia-Ukraine war following a series of strategic military actions by Ukraine. In August 2024, Ukrainian forces carried out a surprise offensive in Russia’s Kursk region.
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The Kremlin’s refusal to discuss land swaps came shortly after Zelenskyy announced that one person had been killed and at least four others were wounded – including a child – in the attack on Kyiv. It damaged apartment blocks, office buildings, and civilian infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not preparing for peace – he continues to kill Ukrainians and destroy cities,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media after the attack.
“Only strong steps and pressure on Russia can stop this terror. Right now we need the unity and the support of all our partners in the fight for a just end to this war,” he added.
With inputs from agencies