Two close advisers to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the American magazine “The Atlantic” that the Kiev government will likely agree to the most difficult concession, namely the withdrawal of its forces from the Donbas region and the transfer of control over its territory.
According to the magazine, Zelensky’s advisers said that Ukraine is ready to accept this concession and that the government is considering holding a referendum next spring to legitimize this decision.
The Atlantic report added that some members of Zelensky’s inner circle are concerned about undermining the chances of peace, while Zelensky himself told the magazine that he would rather have no deal than accept a bad deal.
Zelensky had previously claimed that he was ready to establish peace with Russia based on a ceasefire and security guarantees, but now he acknowledged that no agreement has yet been reached with the United States on final security guarantees and that fundamental issues in the peace document have not yet been resolved.
