Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized the importance of achieving a ceasefire as the first step towards initiating peace negotiations with Russia. According to him, the most challenging topic in any negotiations remains the issue of territories, as the positions of the parties on this matter differ significantly.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Challenges in the Negotiation Process Regarding Territories
Volodymyr Zelensky noted that the territorial issue is the most sensitive and complex in negotiations. The Ukrainian side insists on discussing this matter only after a ceasefire is established, while Russia continues to express its claims on Ukrainian territories.
“The issue of territories is a very sensitive matter; it is undoubtedly the most complex issue… I understand that the Russians have a different position, that they would really like to occupy the entire territory, our country as a whole… Our position is that let’s first achieve a ceasefire so we can sit down at the negotiating table, talk, and understand where we stand,” he said.
The President stressed that regardless of the format of negotiations, the issue of Ukraine’s territorial integrity will remain a key and complex aspect of future discussions.
Public Opinion and International Support
According to a survey conducted by the sociological group “Rating” in August 2025, 59% of Ukrainians support a cessation of hostilities and the search for a compromise to end the war, while 20% advocate for continuing the war until the complete return of the territories occupied in 2014, including Donbas and Crimea, and another 13% support the option of returning to the line of demarcation as of February 23, 2022.
Analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have repeatedly noted that the Russian Federation is making demands that effectively amount to the complete capitulation of Ukraine, and that Moscow will not abandon this strategy as long as its leader believes he can achieve success through military means. Experts emphasize that further support for Ukraine from the West, particularly the United States, is necessary to change the situation.