Ukraine not considering changing borders during possible new negotiations with Russia — Ambassador Stefanishyna

Ukraine will not agree to any negotiations that would involve changing its internationally recognized borders or recognizing Russian territorial acquisitions, said Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, during a speech at the Global Women’s Summit.

She emphasized that Ukraine’s territorial integrity is an unchanging position that cannot be compromised.

“The territorial integrity of Ukraine and changing Ukraine’s borders are not something that can be negotiated. We are talking about stopping at the existing line,” Stefanishyna noted, recalling that the Ukrainian president had previously voiced a similar position during his visit to Washington.

According to her, possible discussions may concern only the technical details of defining the “stop line,” but to say that Ukraine will change the borders and recognize that Russia has succeeded in this military aggression cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

Stefanishyna also stressed that Kyiv does not view the Russian proposals as constructive: "You can talk about each of the 28 Russian points, but there is no point in taking them seriously. So we are focusing on something else," she said.

The ambassador added that Ukraine supports President Trump's leadership in the process of finding solutions, but pointed to the risks associated with Russia's position during the negotiations.

"I am afraid that the Russians will never commit to anything... And my biggest fear is that the Russians will continue to stall for time, to play tactical games," Stefanishyna stressed.