Poroshenko calls territorial swap Putin scenario; is cautiously optimistic about Alaska meeting
Poroshenko calls territorial swap Putin scenario; is cautiously optimistic about Alaska meeting
KYIV. Aug 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) – MP of Ukraine, leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko does not expect that an agreement on peace in Ukraine will be reached during the meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, but hopes for an agreement on a ceasefire, the political force said on the website on Thursday.
"I do not expect that a peace agreement will be concluded tomorrow. This is impossible. I am very cautiously optimistic. We expect a comprehensive, unconditional ceasefire as a result of this meeting. This would be the first important step towards stopping the war," Poroshenko said on the air of the Italian TV channel Sky TG24.
At the same time, he called the talks on the exchange of territories a Putin scenario. "I understand that Putin does not want to stop the war... He does not have any significant successes, despite all the difficulties that Ukraine is facing in this war, especially in the east of our country, in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in Sumy and Zaporizhia. I think that Putin's attempt to apply a very strange approach, for example, an exchange of territories, can harm the process," the politician said, adding that "we in Ukraine do not trade, we do not sell our territories."
"We want to preserve and protect internationally recognized borders and stop Putin's attempt to conduct long and empty negotiations... From all my experience, it is absolutely necessary that we start with a comprehensive, unconditional ceasefire," Poroshenko said.
As reported, last Friday, after the trip of Special Representative Stephen Witkoff to Moscow, Trump announced that his meeting with Putin would take place on August 15 in Alaska. In particular, he announced his intention to agree on the return of part of the occupied territory to Ukraine, and also announced his intention to agree on some "territorial swaps."