President’s Office: Ukraine rules out ceasefire or territorial concessions to Russia

Ukraine rules out agreeing to a ceasefire with Russia and will not accept any deal with Moscow that involved ceding Ukrainian territory.

Mykhailo Podolyak, Adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine said in an interview with Reuters that Kyiv's stance on the war was becoming more uncompromising and making concessions would backfire on Ukraine because Russia would hit back harder after any break in fighting.

"The war will not stop [after any concessions]. It will just be put on pause for some time. After a while, with renewed intensity, the Russians will build up their weapons, manpower and work on their mistakes, modernise a little, fire many generals … And they'll start a new offensive, even more bloody and large-scale," he said.

Podolyak dismissed as "very strange" calls in the West for an urgent ceasefire that would involve Russian forces remaining in territory they have occupied in Ukraine's south and east.

"The [Russian] forces must leave the country and after that the resumption of the peace process will be possible," he stressed.

A ceasefire would play into the Kremlin's hands, Podolyak said.

"They want to lock in some kind of military successes. There will definitely be no military successes given the help from our Western partners," he stressed.

Podolyak added that it would be good if the European and U.S. elites understand: Russia can't be left halfway because they will develop a 'revanchist' mood and be even more cruel ...

“They must be defeated, be subjected to a painful defeat, as painful as possible," he stressed.

Earlier, Podolyak said that Ukraine's talks with the Russian Federation had been suspended until Russia could perceive the situation objectively.

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