US hasn't dismissed the idea of territorial exchanges in Ukraine conflict
According to US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, the decision regarding whether and when to cede land to Russia rests with Vladimir Zelensky. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The decision of if and when to relinquish territory to Russia lies solely with Vladimir Zelensky, according to a statement from a US National Security Council spokesman.
On Thursday, John Kirby indicated that the possibility of Ukraine trading land for peace with Russia remains open. This remark followed a White House meeting where US President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian leader Zelensky. When asked if he believed the conflict could be resolved without Ukraine ceding territory, Kirby stated, "I mean, that is going to be up to him,” referring to Zelensky.
Kirby explained that the US administration's primary focus is on ensuring that Ukraine has the necessary resources for success on the battlefield, rather than engaging in discussions about potential land trades. He asserted, “If and when and how this war ends, it is got to be in a way that... Zelensky and the Ukrainian people can accept. He gets to decide the conditions. He gets to decide the circumstances. And if there is trade space, he gets to decide what that trade space is.”
During the meeting, Kirby confirmed that President Biden “would very much like to see the war ended as soon as possible," but emphasized that Kiev is not receiving directives from the White House regarding the format of peace talks.
Biden announced an additional $8 billion in military assistance to Ukraine while expressing gratitude to Zelensky for sharing his plan for achieving “victory” over Russia. Although the specifics of the plan have yet to be disclosed, Kirby mentioned it consists of “initiatives and steps and objectives” that Zelensky believes could help end the conflict and deter Moscow in the future.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that Moscow was open to halting hostilities and initiating talks with Ukraine, provided Kiev formally abandoned its aspiration to join NATO and withdrew from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, which had joined Russia following referendums in the fall of 2022.
Zelensky rejected this proposal, labeling it an “ultimatum.” The Kremlin subsequently stated that those conditions were no longer applicable following Ukraine's incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region in early August.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
On Thursday, John Kirby indicated that the possibility of Ukraine trading land for peace with Russia remains open. This remark followed a White House meeting where US President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian leader Zelensky. When asked if he believed the conflict could be resolved without Ukraine ceding territory, Kirby stated, "I mean, that is going to be up to him,” referring to Zelensky.
Kirby explained that the US administration's primary focus is on ensuring that Ukraine has the necessary resources for success on the battlefield, rather than engaging in discussions about potential land trades. He asserted, “If and when and how this war ends, it is got to be in a way that... Zelensky and the Ukrainian people can accept. He gets to decide the conditions. He gets to decide the circumstances. And if there is trade space, he gets to decide what that trade space is.”
During the meeting, Kirby confirmed that President Biden “would very much like to see the war ended as soon as possible," but emphasized that Kiev is not receiving directives from the White House regarding the format of peace talks.
Biden announced an additional $8 billion in military assistance to Ukraine while expressing gratitude to Zelensky for sharing his plan for achieving “victory” over Russia. Although the specifics of the plan have yet to be disclosed, Kirby mentioned it consists of “initiatives and steps and objectives” that Zelensky believes could help end the conflict and deter Moscow in the future.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin indicated that Moscow was open to halting hostilities and initiating talks with Ukraine, provided Kiev formally abandoned its aspiration to join NATO and withdrew from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, which had joined Russia following referendums in the fall of 2022.
Zelensky rejected this proposal, labeling it an “ultimatum.” The Kremlin subsequently stated that those conditions were no longer applicable following Ukraine's incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region in early August.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
