Ukraine seeks ‘just peace’ without preconditions or territorial concessions, says Commander Syrskyi

A “just peace” for Ukraine means ending the war without preconditions and without giving up any territory, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with Sky News.

Syrskyi stressed that the primary task remains “the protection of Ukraine’s land, the country and its population”.

“Of course, territorial concessions are unacceptable for us. What does it mean to hand over our land? This is exactly why we are fighting, not to surrender our territory,” he stated.

The Commander added that he does not even allow himself to consider a scenario in which Ukraine would be forced to cede all of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to Russia.

“All wars eventually end and of course we hope that ours will end as well. And when it does, a just peace must be established. In my understanding, a just peace is one without preconditions and without territorial concessions. It means stopping [hostilities] along the current contact line,” Syrskyi said.

He explained that there must be an unconditional ceasefire, followed by negotiations.

“Any other format would be an unjust peace and unacceptable for us,” the Commander added.