Ukraine has appeared to split over the return of Crimea despite Volodymyr Zelensky doubling down on his commitment to securing their territory.
Kyiv’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko instead suggested the ex-Soviet state may have to give up land to Russia.
It comes as Donald Trump, who has created a seven-point plan for securing peace in the region, said that an agreement was “pretty close” to being finalised.
The plan would see the US offering Russia formal recognition of Crimea, which has been under Russian occupation since it was illegally annexed in 2014.
Zelensky has said that he will not relinquish Crimea permanently to the Russians
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The plan would see the US offering Russia formal recognition of Crimea, which has been under Russian occupation since it was illegally annexed in 2014
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Under the plans, the frontline would be frozen, which would allow Putin to keep almost all of the territory it has gained - including much of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Zelensky has said that he will not relinquish Crimea permanently to the Russians.
He told reporters: “Our position is unchanged: only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian.
“The constitution of Ukraine says that all the temporarily occupied territories … belong to Ukraine, to the Ukrainian people.”
His resistance was echoed by the Ukrainian deputy foreign minister, Mariana Betsa, who said Ukraine will do “whatever it takes” to take back the region.
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The mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, has said that Ukraine may have to relinquish land as part of a peace deal which would end the killing
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Betsa told Times Radio: “Our position is very clear and our president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was and is very clear on that. Crimea is Ukraine.”
She also said they will “never recognise the attempted annexation by Russia” and will do “whatever it takes” to keep the region.
However, Klitschko, who is an ex-heavyweight boxing champion, said that Ukraine may have to relinquish land as part of a peace deal which would end the killing.
“One of the scenarios is … to give up territory. It’s not fair,” Klitschko told the BBC. “But for the peace, temporary peace, maybe it can be a solution, temporary.”
Itwas reported that Trump had said 'Crimea will stay with Russia'
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Klitschko, who is a political opponent of Zelensky, said that the Ukrainian President hadn’t discussed any settlement with him: “President Zelensky does [it] himself. It’s not my function.”
Earlier today, it was reported that Trump had said “Crimea will stay with Russia” and said that Zelensky understands that”.
“Everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time. It’s been with them long before Trump came along,” the US President said.
Points one and two of the plan are understood to be focusing on an immediate ceasefire with direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, whilst point three bans Ukraine from joining Nato.
Territory is the focus of point four, with America giving Putin control of Crimea. Recognising Russian control of the area would violate an international law principle that no country can annex the land of another.
The final points would see the US gaining control of the nuclear power station at Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine signing a mineral deals and the lifting of all sanctions imposed by the US on Russia.
