Moscow, Feb 12 (EFE) – Russia Wednesday ruled out any possibility of swapping Russian territory for Ukrainian land under its control, rejecting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s suggestion of using Kursk as a bargaining chip in future peace negotiations.
“This is impossible. Russia has never and will never negotiate the exchange of its own territory,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in his daily press briefing.
Peskov insisted that Ukrainian forces occupying Russian land would be driven out. “Of course, the Ukrainian units will be expelled—every last one of them. Those who are not expelled will be eliminated,” he warned.
His remarks came in response to statements by Zelenskyy, who floated the idea of a “direct exchange” of territories as part of potential peace talks with Russia.
February 6 marked six months since Ukraine’s surprise incursion into Kursk, an operation that caught Russian border guards off guard. While Moscow has since reclaimed over 60 perfcent of the area, Ukrainian forces remain entrenched.
Zelenskyy has suggested from the outset that Kyiv views Kursk as a “bargaining chip,” though he has not specified what Ukraine might seek in return.
In an interview with The Guardian, the Ukrainian leader said he would be open to relinquishing the Russian-held territory but itted uncertainty over which occupied lands Ukraine would demand in exchange.
“I don’t know, we’ll see,” he said. “But all our territories are important; there is no priority.”
These developments come just days before the Munich Security Conference in , which begins Friday. Zelensky is expected to meet US Vice President J.D. Vance at the event to discuss conflict resolution. EFE
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