Territorial integrity of Ukraine will never be subject to negotiations, warns speaker of parliament
The territorial integrity of Ukraine will never be the subject of negotiations with Russia, warned the speaker of the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada.
“Never, ever the subject of negotiation will be the question of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Ukraine is an integral and sovereign country and will remain so because it is recognized as such by the entire civilized world,” Ruslan Stefanchuk told Euronews. during his visit to Strasbourg, France, where he addressed the European Parliament.
“There is room for negotiation, for diplomacy. But we have to understand that with each Irpin, with each Bucha, with each Mariupol, the negotiating corridor is getting smaller and smaller.”
Stefanchuk’s words come amid growing speculation about what kind of concessions Russia may demand to agree to a ceasefire and end the brutal invasion.
Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron Ukraine enraged after suggesting that the West “must not humiliate Russia” in order to build an “exit ramp”.
The president did not respond to Macron’s controversial comments but stressed that “the war will end with the victory of Ukraine and all of Europe”.
“Nobody knows [when that will be]but I am sure that every day we are getting closer to our common victory,” he said.
“The Ukrainians want to be united. They want to be back in the united European house. They want to live with the free countries. They don’t want to be in the Soviet Union 2.0.”
Stefanchuk has advocated for Ukraine to be granted EU candidate status, a move Kyiv sees as a vital morale boost as the door to NATO appears to be opening. have permanently closed.
If member states unanimously agree to grant the status, Ukraine will formally begin a long, complex and costly accession process. EU enlargement has stalled for years as the appetite to welcome new countries has dropped dramatically across the bloc. Although the war seems to have given new impetus, several capitals argue that membership is not the appropriate solution to the current crisis.
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi recently said Italy was the “only major EU country” to support candidate status.
“We don’t want you [the EU] to invent something in your non-existent status for Ukraine or do something special for Ukraine. Ukraine wants to have a straightforward way to get that status and then later we want to do whatever it takes to receive full membership,” Stefanchuk said.
“When we have the application, we can have our roadmap. We will have a better understanding of what we need to do, when to do it, what is best. Then we can become full members.”
The president also said that Ukraine was ready to discuss a “joint” approach to obtaining 20 million tonnes of grain Out of the country. The continued blockade of the Black Sea threatens to trigger a global famine, with low-income countries facing soaring food prices and dwindling supplies.