Stoltenberg: “We need a ceasefire line, even with territorial concessions”
2 December 2024 12:48
Former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that Ukraine can make certain territorial concessions to Russia, at least temporarily, to end the war. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" reports with reference to Table Briefings.
Stoltenberg emphasized the importance of Ukraine receiving security guarantees in exchange for these concessions. One of the possible options is Ukraine’s accession to NATO, but, according to him, there are other ways to support and arm Ukrainians.
“If the ceasefire line means that Russia continues to control all the occupied territories, it does not mean that Ukraine should give up these territories forever,”
– he said.
Stoltenberg also supported the words of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about refusing to make concessions to Russia during the ceasefire, but admitted that this is unlikely at the moment due to the situation on the frontline.
“We need a ceasefire line, and, of course, ideally, it should cover all the territories currently controlled by Russia. However, we see that this is unlikely in the near future,”
– he added.
As reported by , last week President Zelenskyy spoke for the first time about ending the war without returning the occupied territories.
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Trump’s position on Ukraine
As you know, the US position on Ukraine is one of the most important in the context of Western support for our country in the Russian-Ukrainian war. During the election campaign, U.S. presidential candidate and future president Donald Trump repeatedly stated that he would stop the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of his election. That time has already passed.
Also during the election, the media spread the so-called “Trump Plan”. The plan was that the United States would use its influence to stop the war, taking into account the status quo. To do this, Trump would force Putin and Zelenskyy to sit down at the negotiating table. If Putin does not agree to negotiate, the United States will give Ukraine all the weapons it needs to win on the battlefield. If Zelenskyy refuses to negotiate, the United States will completely stop helping Ukraine.
This plan, in its various variations, stipulates that Russia retains the territories it temporarily occupies and that Ukraine does not join NATO.
However, later Trump seemed to “forget” about this plan. In particular, he voiced scenarios in which he would force Russia to capitulate due to the decline in world oil prices.
After Trump was elected President of the United States, one of his advisors, Brian Lanza, said that Ukraine should forget about Crimea. The president-elect’s entourage, however, was quick to deny this statement and said that Lanza could not speak for Trump.
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Zelensky’s victory plan
At the same time, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has his own Victory Plan, which he presented to Ukraine’s Western partners. It contains five key points covering military, economic, and political aspects. According to the president, this set of measures should help Ukraine win the war.
The first point of the plan relates to geopolitics and provides for Ukraine’s invitation to join NATO. This will be an important signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin and a demonstration of the defeat of his geopolitical ambitions. Ukraine’s membership in the Alliance will ensure long-term peace and security in the region.
The second point focuses on defense. It is a list of weapons needed to support the Ukrainian military.
The third point concerns the deterrence of Russia. Ukraine proposes to create a non-nuclear deterrent package that can guarantee security against any threat from Russia. Zelenskyy emphasized that, realizing the possible response, Russia would rather choose negotiations than further escalation. A secret annex to this point has been passed on to the United States and other key allies.
The fourth point is about the economy. Among other things, it stipulates that Ukraine can share its natural resources, such as uranium, titanium, lithium, and others, with its allies.
Thefifth point is designed for the postwar period and provides for the participation of the Ukrainian military in ensuring security in Europe. According to it, Ukrainian soldiers can replace part of the US troops in Europe, strengthening NATO’s defense.
In the West, only such loyal Ukrainian allies as Latvia and Lithuania unconditionally supported Zelenskyy’s victory plan. Almost all of Ukraine’s key partners – the United States, Britain, Germany, and France – reacted with extreme restraint and sometimes even outright negativity.
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