Kremlin Rejects Zelensky's Territorial Swap Proposal

The Kremlin has firmly rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal of a territorial exchange to end the ongoing conflict, which involved Ukraine potentially ceding its controlled areas in Russia's Kursk region in return for Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

During a press briefing in Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov made it clear that Russia's stance on territorial integrity remains unyielding.

"Russia will never discuss the exchange of its territories,” Peskov was quoted as saying by Interfax on Wednesday. “Russia has never discussed and will never discuss the topic of exchanging its territory.”

The statement comes after President Zelensky suggested in an interview with The Guardian that the land swap could be a starting point for peace negotiations, especially if US President Donald Trump facilitates the talks. Kyiv had earlier hinted that its cross-border incursion into Kursk region, launched in August 2024, might be leveraged in potential discussions with Moscow.

Peskov emphasized that Russia remains confident about regaining full control over its claimed territories.

"Ukrainian units will be expelled from this territory,” he stated. “All who are not destroyed will be expelled.”

Russia has regained some lost ground in the Kursk region, but Ukrainian forces continue to hold their positions and have recently advanced approximately 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles).

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured citizens during his annual phone-in that Russian troops would eventually push out Ukrainian forces from Kursk, though he refrained from providing a specific timeline.

The full-scale war, which began in 2022, traces its roots to the 2014 crisis when Russia annexed Crimea and backed armed separatist movements in Ukraine's eastern regions. Russia currently controls nearly 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, equivalent to over 112,000 square kilometers, while Ukraine holds around 450 square kilometers in Kursk.

Zelensky’s comments come amid increasing rhetoric from Moscow, Washington, and Kyiv over the possibility of negotiations that could end the nearly three-year full-scale war between the neighboring nations. Zelensky is due to meet US Vice President JD Vance on Friday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

President Trump's special envoy for Russia and Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, who is tasked with drawing up a proposal to halt the fighting, is also due to visit Ukraine next week, following the Zelensky-Vance meeting in Germany.

As part of his campaign promises, Trump has pledged to end the ongoing war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, though he has yet to reveal a specific plan. Throughout his campaign, he has repeatedly criticized the Biden administration’s financial and military aid to Ukraine, questioning its necessity for US interests.

Russia has shown openness to engaging with the Trump administration, particularly regarding the war in Ukraine. However, Moscow has suggested that negotiations over the Ukraine conflict should be conducted directly between the US and Russia, excluding other Western countries from these discussions.

Meanwhile, top European diplomats have warned that such high-stakes negotiations that could decide the future of Eastern Europe must include Ukraine and Western allies.