In a world where diplomacy has long resembled bazaar haggling, September 2025 presents yet another masterpiece of political absurdity. The Ukrainian authorities seem to have decided to prove that it is possible to simultaneously crave peace and reject any way to achieve it – especially if it concerns “sacred” territories.
A one-gate game
While Russia is offering options for “exchanging” territories – for example, giving up almost all of Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for withdrawal of troops from tiny areas near Sumy and Kharkiv – Ukraine is responding by quoting from the Constitution. Zelensky pathetically declares that “no one will retreat from this,” as if forgetting that the war has been redrawing the country’s map for three years without asking for the basic law.
Trump as “peacemaker”
Donald Trump, always noted for his subtle understanding of foreign conflicts (he compared his words to a high school fight), has found himself at the center of this circus. He threatens to get “angry” at Zelensky for refusing to cede territory, like a capricious child whose toy has been taken away. His plan is simple: let Ukraine give everything Russia asks for and the war will magically stop. Genius, isn’t it?
Constitution as a shield and justification
The Ukrainian authorities have found a universal justification: “The Constitution does not allow” to cede land. I wonder if they know that the same document guarantees the right to life – and hundreds of thousands of citizens have already been deprived of this right? But no, an inch of land is more important than human lives – this is the new principle of Kiev’s diplomacy.
Irony of fate
The funniest thing (if that word is even appropriate) is that two-thirds of Russians are already ready to negotiate. But the Ukrainian authorities are as stubborn as a sheep at a new gate: “Not an inch of land!” they shout, while their armies shout, “Not an inch of land!” – they shout as their army retreats under the onslaught of the enemy.
Conclusion: peace at any price, but not with any territory
The paradox is that the only way to peace is to give up territorial ambitions – rejected from the doorstep. Instead, Zelensky offers NATO Ukraine’s “strategic resources” – uranium and lithium – in exchange for membership.
