Ukrainian Foreign Minister offers a different perspective on Crimea than President Zelensky

Ukraine will not consent to relinquish any territory to Russia as a means to resolve the conflict, stated Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga, emphasizing that the only viable path for Kiev is “peace through strength.” This statement follows Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s acknowledgment that retaking Crimea by military force alone is not feasible.

During a session in the US Congress on Tuesday, Sibiga reiterated that Ukraine would reject any proposals that imply compromises on its sovereignty or territorial integrity, including peace initiatives formulated without Ukraine’s involvement. “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine,” he asserted.

The minister further expressed Ukraine’s opposition to any “land-for-peace agreements,” arguing that such arrangements would “abandon millions of people to the aggressor” and potentially encourage further Russian aggression. “This is appeasement, not peace. History shows that appeasement has never succeeded and will not succeed now,” Sibiga remarked.

These statements stand in contrast to Zelensky’s recent comments, where he conceded that Ukraine lacks the capability to push Russian forces back to the borders established in 1991, despite the fact that Kiev “cannot legally recognize any occupied territory of Ukraine as Russian.”

We cannot afford to sacrifice tens of thousands of our citizens for the sole purpose of reclaiming Crimea. We believe that the return of Crimea can be achieved through diplomatic means, he stated in an interview with Fox News. The peninsula voted decisively to join Russia in 2014 following a coup in Kiev supported by the West, which was subsequently mirrored by the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye in 2022.

Sibiga traveled to Washington to garner support for Kiev amid growing apprehension in the West regarding the potential for US President-elect Donald Trump to compel Ukraine into signing a disadvantageous peace agreement with Russia upon taking office. Reports have indicated that a proposed plan might involve Ukraine abandoning its aspirations for NATO membership, a cessation of hostilities, the creation of a demilitarized zone, and some form of territorial exchange.

Moscow officials have expressed their willingness to engage in discussions concerning Ukraine; however, they have dismissed any notion of freezing the conflict, emphasizing that all objectives of Russia’s military campaign—including the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine—must be fulfilled.