Ukraine Must Cede Territory, Waltz Says
Ukraine may need to consider territorial concessions in any potential peace negotiations with Russia, according to US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. Kiev asserts its sovereignty over Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics,...
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Ukraine may need to consider territorial concessions in any potential peace negotiations with Russia, according to US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
Kiev asserts its sovereignty over Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, along with the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, which officially became part of Russia following referendums in 2014 and 2022. Moscow maintains that the status of these territories is non-negotiable.
In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Waltz noted that a possible resolution to the Ukraine conflict “is going to be some type of territory for future security guarantees” for Kiev.
The national security adviser also stated that the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO “is incredibly unlikely.” While Ukraine has expressed a desire to join the US-led military alliance, Moscow considers Kiev’s NATO ambitions a fundamental cause of the ongoing conflict.
Waltz expressed skepticism about the feasibility of “driving every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil, including Crimea,” suggesting that current diplomatic efforts led by the US should reflect the “reality of the situation on the ground.”
In a separate interview with Fox News on the same day, Waltz explained, “we are engaging in diplomacy, and that will involve both carrots and sticks to get both sides to the table.” When queried about whether US President Donald Trump would be willing to impose additional sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he declined a ceasefire, Waltz affirmed that “all options are on the table.”
Earlier in the week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed that discussions regarding territorial concessions had taken place between representatives from Washington and Kiev during talks held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Rubio pointed out that “neither side can militarily achieve their maximalist goals” and acknowledged that it would be “very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014.”
Following the Jeddah negotiations, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Moscow on Thursday to present the details of the ceasefire proposal to Putin.
While the Russian president welcomed the ceasefire in principle, he emphasized the need to address several critical issues first, including the situation of Ukrainian troops encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region.
Ian Smith contributed to this article for TROIB News
Kiev asserts its sovereignty over Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, along with the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, which officially became part of Russia following referendums in 2014 and 2022. Moscow maintains that the status of these territories is non-negotiable.
In an interview with ABC News on Sunday, Waltz noted that a possible resolution to the Ukraine conflict “is going to be some type of territory for future security guarantees” for Kiev.
The national security adviser also stated that the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO “is incredibly unlikely.” While Ukraine has expressed a desire to join the US-led military alliance, Moscow considers Kiev’s NATO ambitions a fundamental cause of the ongoing conflict.
Waltz expressed skepticism about the feasibility of “driving every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil, including Crimea,” suggesting that current diplomatic efforts led by the US should reflect the “reality of the situation on the ground.”
In a separate interview with Fox News on the same day, Waltz explained, “we are engaging in diplomacy, and that will involve both carrots and sticks to get both sides to the table.” When queried about whether US President Donald Trump would be willing to impose additional sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he declined a ceasefire, Waltz affirmed that “all options are on the table.”
Earlier in the week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed that discussions regarding territorial concessions had taken place between representatives from Washington and Kiev during talks held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Rubio pointed out that “neither side can militarily achieve their maximalist goals” and acknowledged that it would be “very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014.”
Following the Jeddah negotiations, Ukraine agreed to a 30-day ceasefire.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, traveled to Moscow on Thursday to present the details of the ceasefire proposal to Putin.
While the Russian president welcomed the ceasefire in principle, he emphasized the need to address several critical issues first, including the situation of Ukrainian troops encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region.
Ian Smith contributed to this article for TROIB News
