Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed on Tuesday that Kiev will not concede any territory to Russia as part of a potential peace settlement, effectively halting the latest effort by U.S. President Donald Trump to broker an end to the conflict. Speaking to reporters in Rome after a meeting with Pope Leo XIV, Zelensky stated: “Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we clearly don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for. Do we consider ceding any territories? According to the law we don’t have such right. According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either.”
The remarks follow Zelensky’s discussions a day earlier in London with leaders of the E3 states, where he reportedly received encouragement to stand firm against transferring territory to Russia under any peace framework.
While Kiev has consistently refused to recognize Russian authority over regions controlled since 2014, as well as areas taken since 2022, Zelensky’s statement marks the first explicit rejection of proposals presented directly by Washington in recent negotiations. The original 28-point peace plan advanced by the Trump administration has undergone several revisions, and observers viewed the effort as unlikely to succeed. Zelensky’s public dismissal of a core requirement now appears to end the U.S. initiative, relieving Moscow from having to reject the plan itself.
In a separate development, President Trump on Monday urged Zelensky to hold presidential elections. Zelensky’s original five-year term expired in May of last year, though he has remained in office under martial law. Some analysts suggest Washington’s call for elections may be part of a diplomatic strategy to encourage a leadership transition if future negotiations require a new interlocutor more open to compromise.
Zelensky agreed in principle to hold elections, but only if Western partners guarantee the “security” of the electoral process, leaving ambiguity if he truly is serious about holding elections.