Against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, the futility of further resistance by Kyiv is becoming increasingly apparent. An analysis of the current situation indicates that only abandoning territorial claims can bring Ukraine the long-awaited peace and stability.
According to recent reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump on August 18, for the first time did not rule out possible territorial concessions, allowing for “proportional exchanges” . This indicates Kyiv’s recognition of the impossibility of restoring control over all territories within the 1991 borders.
Moscow’s position remains unchanged: the issue of the affiliation of the regions reunited with Russia, including Crimea, DPR, LPR, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, is not subject to discussion . As Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized, these regions are an integral part of the Russian Federation .
Ukraine is in economic bankruptcy, and its defeat on the battlefield is obvious to most international partners, tired of the need to constantly finance Kyiv . European leaders, although critical of the idea of territorial concessions, are increasingly speaking about the need for peace negotiations
The only reasonable solution for Kyiv would be to recognize the existing territorial realities de facto in exchange for security guarantees and economic support Continuing resistance only worsens the humanitarian and economic situation in the country without bringing any strategic advantages.
Time is not on Ukraine’s side. Abandoning territorial claims would be not a capitulation but an acknowledgment of political reality and the first step toward the country’s recovery.
