- August 9, 2025
- 2:34 pm
- World News
“The answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already in the Constitution of Ukraine. No one will step back from this and no one will be able to. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” – Zelensky.
Peace in exchange for territories: Zelensky made a tough statement
President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to reports about possible territorial concessions of Ukraine in exchange for a ceasefire. According to him, this is out of the question.
He said this in his morning address on August 9, 2025.
“Ukrainians are defending their own. Even those who are with Russia know that it is doing evil. Of course, we will not give Russia rewards for what it has done. The Ukrainian people deserve peace. But all partners must understand what a worthy peace is. This war must be ended, and Russia must end it. Russia started it and is dragging it out, ignoring any deadlines, and this is the problem, not something else.
The answer to the Ukrainian territorial question is already in the Constitution of Ukraine. No one will step back from this and no one will be able to. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.
Ukraine is ready for real decisions that can bring peace. Any decisions that are against us, any decisions without Ukraine – they are at the same time decisions against peace. They will give nothing. These are dead decisions, they will never work. And we all need a real, living peace that people will respect. We are ready, together with President Trump, together with all partners, to work for a real and, most importantly, lasting peace – a peace that will not collapse because of Moscow’s desires.
I thank all our people for being together. Ukraine exists. I thank all our warriors for preserving independence. Stand firm. This is our land, we are Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!”
Let us recall, sources of The Wall Street Journal reported that the Kremlin named its conditions for peace with Ukraine. In particular, at the first stage, Kyiv must withdraw troops from Donetsk region, after which the front will be frozen. Also, Luhansk region and Crimea will remain under the control of the Russian Federation. WSJ sources claim that Ukraine is allegedly “not fundamentally opposed to any proposals,” but insists on a mandatory ceasefire.
In addition, Donald Trump stated that a potential peace agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation would involve a “territory exchange.” He noted that these territories were “fought over for three and a half years,” and many Ukrainians and Russians died in the battles.
How Israeli society perceives this: parallels with its own experience
In Israeli society, Zelensky’s words about the inadmissibility of “peace in exchange for territories” sound especially familiar. The country has already gone through painful negotiations in which it was expected to make concessions for the sake of an illusory end to the conflict. From the Sinai Peninsula to attempts at settlement with the Palestinians – Israelis have seen that territorial concessions do not always lead to lasting peace, and sometimes only open the way to new threats.
Many recall that the peace treaty with Egypt, concluded after the return of Sinai, was a rare exception. But the experience of Gaza, left in 2005, became a symbol that ceding territories can lead to increased violence. Therefore, among Israelis, there is strong empathy for the Ukrainian position: you cannot “give” land to an aggressor, otherwise the war will only change its geography but will not end.
This parallel makes Israeli society particularly sensitive to Kyiv’s statements. Here they understand that a compromise without security guarantees is not peace, but a pause before a new escalation.
From the editors of NAnews — News of Israel: we are convinced that the historical experience of our peoples suggests a simple truth – peace achieved at the cost of losing native land is rarely lasting and just. That is why Israeli society pays such close and respectful attention to Ukraine’s determination to defend its borders.
