
Russia’s demand for territories is ploy to derail peace talks
We do not know what exactly will be in the memorandum prepared by Russia, but its content will immediately show whether Putin is ready for real negotiations
A key indicator will be the issue of recognizing the occupied territories as Russian.
Ukraine has no legal mechanism to "reduce" its territory. The Constitution enshrines all regions of Ukraine — including the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. Recognition of these territories as belonging to Russia would mean their exclusion from the basic law, which is directly prohibited by Article 157 of the Constitution.
"In other words, Ukraine cannot under any circumstances "renounce" these regions or "recognize" them as part of Russia, the United States, or any other state. No authority — not even the president — has the power to sign a document with such a clause."
Therefore, if the memorandum proposed by Russia contains a demand for the recognition of the occupied territories, this should be regarded as a deliberate disruption of negotiations. Such a clause can only be included for one purpose — to make Ukraine reject the proposal itself.
This needs to be clearly stated at all levels — both in formal negotiations and in informal discussions with our partners.
About the author: Mykola Kniazhytskyi, journalist, Member of the Ukrainian parliament.
The editors do not always share the views expressed by the authors of blogs or columns.
- News