Moscow has unequivocally rejected any possibility of discussing a territorial exchange with Ukraine, Kremlin officials declared Wednesday, escalating rhetorical tensions amid stalled diplomatic efforts to end the 30-month war.
The dismissal came in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s suggestion that he would propose a direct land swap if former U.S. President Donald Trump brokers negotiations between the two nations.
“There will be no discussions about territory—this is simply impossible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, doubling down on Russia’s claim to annexed Ukrainian regions. Peskov accused Ukrainian forces of occupying parts of Russia’s Kursk region, vowing they would be “expelled or destroyed,” though independent verification of such incursions remains scarce. His remarks were echoed by Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, who dismissed the notion of territorial exchanges as “complete nonsense.”
Zelensky’s conditional proposal, revealed earlier this week, hinges on Trump’s potential mediation. The U.S. presidential candidate claimed Tuesday on his Truth Social platform that he would dispatch Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Kyiv to discuss ending the conflict, which has claimed over 500,000 lives by conservative estimates. “This war must and will end soon,” Trump wrote, citing “too much death and destruction”—a rare bipartisan sentiment, though his administration’s exact strategy remains unclear.
Analysts view Zelensky’s gambit as an attempt to leverage Trump’s self-styled dealmaker image ahead of the U.S. election, despite skepticism about the feasibility of land swaps. Russia has illegally annexed Crimea and portions of four eastern Ukrainian regions since 2014, territories Kyiv insists must be fully reclaimed. Any concession would undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty claims, a red line for Zelensky’s government.
The hardening of Moscow’s stance reflects its entrenched position following recent battlefield gains. While Ukraine’s counteroffensive faltered in 2023, Russian forces now pressure Kharkiv and Donetsk, exploiting delays in Western military aid. Trump’s renewed focus on the conflict—after largely ignoring it during his 2017–2021 term—adds uncertainty to Kyiv’s reliance on U.S. support, particularly if he pivots toward pressuring Ukraine into territorial compromises.
Medvedev’s involvement underscores the Kremlin’s strategy to frame the war as a settled matter. Once seen as a moderate, the former president has adopted increasingly hawkish rhetoric, recently threatening NATO states with nuclear retaliation. His dismissal of negotiations aligns with Moscow’s narrative that Ukraine’s government lacks legitimacy—a stance rejected by most UN member states.
As both sides dig in, prospects for meaningful dialogue appear dim. Ukraine’s peace formula, demanding full Russian withdrawal, remains non-negotiable for Moscow, while Western sanctions have done little to alter Putin’s calculus. With Trump’s potential return injecting volatility, the conflict risks further entrenchment, leaving millions in contested regions trapped between geopolitical posturing and relentless artillery fire.
