Ukraine Must Give Up Some Territory, Says Trump

Darwin, 21 October-

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that if Ukraine truly wants to end its war with Russia, it will have to give up part of its territory. He made the remark during an interview with Fox News journalist Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.

When asked whether Ukraine could reach a ceasefire with Russia without ceding any territory, Trump replied, “Probably not. Ukraine will have to give up some of its land. This sacrifice must be made because Putin will certainly take something. I mean, they (the Russian forces) have fought and have obviously won some ground.”

The question of territorial concessions remains one of the main obstacles to any potential ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine after ousting Ukrainian forces and later held a controversial referendum to officially merge it with Russian territory.

Since launching its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, Russia has seized control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—regions that together represent about 10 percent of Ukraine’s total land area.

Moscow has said it is willing to stop the war if Kyiv recognizes Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as Russian territory. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has consistently refused to cede any territory to Russia.

The United States has been a major supporter of Ukraine since the beginning of the war, providing billions of dollars in weapons and military aid. Last Friday, Zelensky met with President Trump, requesting Tomahawk missiles to strengthen Ukraine’s defense against Russian attacks.

However, Trump told Fox News that he has not yet made a decision. “You know, we can’t give all our weapons to Ukraine — absolutely not,” he said. “Although I have a very good relationship with President Zelensky and with Ukraine, I cannot empty our own arsenals to help others. I can’t put America’s security at risk.”

Source: RT