Ukraine will not accept any deal that crosses ‘red lines’, says top negotiator on US-Russia plan

After a US-Russia proposal parroted nearly all of Vladimir Putin’s maximalist demands, Ukraine’s top negotiator on Friday said the country will not accept any deal that would violate its red lines.

“There can be no decisions outside the framework of our sovereignty, the security of our people, or our red lines — now or ever. This is the foundation of any discussion,” Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s security council chief and negotiator, said on Telegram.

The Donald Trump administration joined hands with Russia to draft a 28-point proposal to end the war in Russia. The proposal has caused an outrage in Ukraine and among its European partners because it parrots nearly all of Putin’s maximalist terms.

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Acceptance of such terms would essentially amount to Ukraine’s surrender, end its sovereignty, and mark the end of its nationhood — and such terms have long been dismissed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as non-starter.

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Zelenskyy and Ukrainian officials have said they continue to engage with the Trump administration.

The Ukrainian government has continued the consultations that began yesterday at the level of the president, Umerov said in his post.

“We discussed approaches to restoring a just peace, the sequence of next steps, and realistic formats for further dialogue. Ukraine is carefully studying every proposal from its partners and clearly articulating its own position,” said Umerov.