Kremlin rejects Zelensky's territory swap proposal as 'impossible'
Russia has firmly stated it will never discuss exchanging its territory, rejecting a claim by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow will not negotiate territory swaps with Ukraine. This comes after Zelensky suggested swapping parts of the Kursk region, controlled by Ukrainian forces, for land captured by Russia.
Peskov insisted that such a territorial exchange is out of the question, ensuring that Ukrainian forces would be expelled from the region. "All those who are not destroyed will be expelled," he asserted.
The Ukrainian President had previously floated this idea in an interview with The Guardian, mentioning a potential exchange during peace talks but not specifying which occupied territories he aimed to reclaim.
Dmitry Medvedev, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman, dismissed Zelensky's bid, mocking it as a notion that Ukrainian authorities should reconsider. He described the idea as "nonsense".
Earlier reports, such as one from Bloomberg on January 15, claimed President Vladimir Putin might be open to discussions about territory swaps amid parts of the Kursk region being occupied. Putin allegedly aims to retain control over 20% of Ukrainian land under current Russian occupation.
A January 31 analysis by Russian media outlet Agentstvo highlighted that Putin has largely stopped discussing the situation in the Kursk region region six months following Ukrainian Armed Forces' operations in the area.