Russia has firmly rejected Ukraine’s proposal to swap occupied territories as part of any future peace settlement, just hours after launching a deadly drone and missile strike on Kyiv that resulted in one fatality.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had recently suggested the idea of exchanging Ukrainian-controlled areas in Russia’s Kursk region for Russian-held territories in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Zelensky argued that the latest strikes on Kyiv demonstrated that Russia had no genuine interest in pursuing peace.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov quickly dismissed the land-swap proposal, stating, “This is impossible. Russia has never, and will never, discuss the topic of exchanging its territory.” He further warned that Ukrainian forces occupying Russian territory would either be eliminated or expelled.
The exchange proposal comes amid ongoing tensions and continued military offensives, with both sides signaling their commitment to the conflict.
