Giving up territory would be 'unjust peace', says Ukraine's armed forces chief

It would be "unacceptable" for Ukraine to "simply give up territory" in any peace deal with Russia, the head of the Ukrainian armed forces has told Sky News.  General Oleksandr Syrskyi said a "just peace" can only be achieved if fighting is halted along current frontlines and then for negotiations to take place.

Signalling a complete lack of trust in claims by the Kremlin that it wants to end its war, he accused Vladimir Putin of using an attempt by Donald Trump to broker peace talks as "cover" while Russian troops try to capture more land by force on the battlefield. Ukraine peace talks - latest The rare intervention offers the clearest indication yet of the Ukrainian military's red lines as Washington tries to negotiate a settlement that - according to an initial draft - would require Kyiv to surrender the whole of the Donbas region in the east of the country to Moscow.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, backed by the UK and other European allies, has been trying on the diplomatic front to strengthen Ukraine's position. But President Putin has said Russia would either seize the Donbas militarily or Ukrainian troops would have to withdraw.

Europe's fate at stake Speaking frankly, General Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Ukraine, signalled that his country's soldiers would fight on if diplomacy fails - and he warned that the fate of the whole of Europe is at stake. "Our main mission is to defend our land, our country, and our population," he said in an exclusive interview in the basement of a building in eastern Ukraine.

Sky News has been asked not to disclose the location for security reasons. "Naturally, for us it is unacceptable to simply give up territory.

What does it even mean - to hand over our land? This is precisely why we are fighting; so we do not give up our territory." Many troops have died fighting for Ukraine since Russia first seized the peninsula of Crimea and attacked the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which comprise the Donbas, in 2014. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian civilians were then mobilised to fight alongside professional soldiers following Putin's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russia well short of original goal Nearly four years on, Russia occupies almost a fifth of Ukraine, including large parts of the Donbas, but well short of an original goal of imposing a pro-Kremlin government in Kyiv. Asked whether the sacrifice of those people who gave their lives defending their country would be in vain if Ukraine is forced to hand over the land it still controls in the Donbas to Moscow, General Syrskyi, speaking in Ukrainian through a translator, said: "You know, I do not even allow myself to consider such a scenario.

"All wars eventually end, and of course we hope ours will end as well. And when it does, a just peace must be established.

"In my understanding, a just peace is peace without preconditions, without giving up territory. It means stopping along the current line of contact." The commander then broke into English to say that this means: "Stop.

A ceasefire. And after that negotiations, without any conditions." Switching back into Ukrainian, he said: "Any other format would be an unjust peace, and for us it is unacceptable." Ukraine's contingency plans While Ukraine's will and ability to fight are key in confronting Russia's much larger army, so too is the supply of weapons, ammunition and other assistance from Kyiv's allies, most significantly the US.

But, with the White House under Donald Trump, becoming less predictable, the Ukrainian military appears to be considering contingency plans in case US aid stops. Asked whether Ukraine would be able to continue fighting if President Trump did halt support, General Syrskyi said: "We are very grateful to our American partners and all our allies who have been supporting us throughout this war with weapons and equipment.

"We hope they will continue providing full support. But we also hope that our European partners and allies, if necessary, will be ready to provide everything required for our just war against the aggressor.

"Because right now we are defending not only ourselves, but all of Europe. And it is crucial for all Europeans that we continue doing so, because if we are not here, others will be forced to fight in Europe." General's assessment of fighting on ground A decorated commander, with the call sign "snow leopard.