MFA Ukraine refutes FT report on alleged discussions of territorial concessions

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has refuted a recent report published by Financial Times in which sources claimed Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had allegedly discussed at private meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York possible territorial compromises to achieve peace in Ukraine.

That’s according to a commentary released by MFA spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, seen by Ukrinform.

 “I attended every meeting Foreign Minister Sybiha had in New York, and at none of them were there any proposals, discussions, or even hints of any territorial compromises. On the contrary, the minister's position is unwavering, and he emphasized its elements behind closed doors. There can be no compromises regarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," Tykhyi said.

He assured that the minister stressed to all his interlocutors that the Peace Formula is the only realistic way to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace, and that the principle "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine" must be strictly followed.

"The Financial Times source's account of the Minister's discussion of compromises is simply false, and we wonder who is even interested in spreading such false narratives," the MFA spokesman said.

As the Financial Times reported with reference to its sources among European diplomats who attended the session of the UN General Assembly in New York last week, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Sybiha, allegedly used private meetings with Western counterparts during his first visit to the United States to discuss potential compromise solutions, and was more pragmatic about the possibility of "land for security" negotiations than his predecessor.