Presidential Chief Of Staff Zelensky Says Ukraine Is Not Ready To Compromise With Russia

JAKARTA - Senior Ukrainian officials say the country is not ready to compromise with Russia at this time, handing over its territory to end the war, when asked about the statement by US President Donald Trump's candidate who could immediately end the war.

Andriy Yermak, Ukraine's Chief of Staff Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would listen to any advice on how to achieve "fair peace" in a war sparked by Russian innovation in February 2022.

"But we (not) ready to compromise for the sake of very important things and values, independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty," he said during a visit to Washington, USA.

Yermak's visit comes ahead of next week's NATO summit in the US capital, where Ukraine is expected to be the main topic of discussion.

When asked how Ukraine thought Trump would handle the war, Yermak said: "The answer is honest: I don't know. Let's see."

Yermak said Ukraine would lobby the new US government to continue providing support, adding Ukraine had received bipartisan support in Washington and polls showed most of Uncle Sam's citizens were still supporting Ukraine after two years of war.

"That will be the decision of the American people. We will respect this choice," Yermak said of the November 5 presidential election.

Trump, a Republican presidential candidate said in last week's debate with Democratic candidate and incumbent Joe Biden, if he is re-elected in November, he will soon finish the war in Ukraine before taking office in January.

He has not provided details on how to do it, but Reuters reported last week that Trump's two main advisers had given him plans that would involve threats to cut US aid if Kyiv did not negotiate with Moscow.

However, Trump said during the debate, it was not the requirement of Russian President Vladimir Putin who said he would end the war soon, as long as Ukraine handed over four regions in the east and south of the country Moscow claimed.

Earlier this week, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said on Monday, "Ukraine crisis cannot be resolved in one day," when asked about Trump's claims.

"The Ukrainian crisis cannot be completed in one day," Nebenzia told a news conference to mark the start of Russia's term of office as President of the United Nations Security Council in July.