Global Leaders Reject Ukraine Peace Without Kyiv’s Consent
Russian President Vladimir Putin with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow! (Image Russian MFA)
As calls grow for territorial compromises, Zelensky warns against “stillborn” deals while Macron, Taiwan, and US lawmakers call to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty
By TRH Global Affairs Desk
NEW DELHI, August 9, 2025 — A chorus of world leaders and policymakers has pushed back against proposals for Ukraine to accept territorial concessions in exchange for ending its war with Russia, underscoring that any peace plan must have Kyiv’s consent.
Daniel DePetris, a foreign policy analyst, argued that ending the war would require Ukraine to surrender territory, a bitter but unavoidable reality if one accepts that “the Ukrainians can’t boot the Russians out and win militarily.”
However, Ukrainian journalist Yaroslov Tarifmov likened such a move — specifically surrendering heavily fortified cities in northern Donetsk — to the 1938 Munich Agreement, warning it would make defending the rest of eastern Ukraine far more difficult.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy firmly rejected any settlement imposed without Ukraine’s involvement. “Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace,” he said, calling them “stillborn” and “unworkable.”
French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed his commitment to Ukraine after consultations with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Ukraine’s future cannot be decided without the Ukrainians,” he stressed, adding that Europe’s own security was also on the line.
US Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick warned against rewarding Russia for its invasion, calling it a “brutal genocide” and stressing that appeasing dictators sends the wrong message globally.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te voiced solidarity with Ukraine, drawing parallels between their shared struggles against authoritarian expansion. “Taiwan firmly stands with the people of Ukraine,” Lai said, urging an end to what he called an “irrational war” devoid of justice or legitimacy.
The statements come amid speculation that US President Donald Trump could pressure Kyiv into concessions, a scenario analysts say would embolden Moscow and weaken Ukraine’s defences.
“If you want the war to end, you’re going to have to swallow territorial concessions. There is no way around it,” noted DePetris. But he was countered by Tarifmov on X, saying: “Ukraine surrendering the heavily fortified cities of northern Donetsk (as Putin expects Trump to pressure Zelensky to do) would be pretty much like Czechoslovakia surrendering Sudetenland in 1938: makes the rest of eastern Ukraine so much harder to defend.”
Macron sounded European belligerence, stating that “Europe will also necessarily be part of the solution, as their own security is at stake. I will continue to coordinate closely with President Zelensky and our European partners.”
Europe is growing wary of Trump asserting one-upmanship in his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin to force a peace deal at disadvantage to Ukraine. Trump’s emissary Steve Witkoff had met Putin for three hours in Moscow this week, which set the stage for a summit between the US and Russian Presidents in Alaska. Putin has briefed a section of world leaders about his discussion with Witkoff.
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