Kyiv Mayor and Zelenskyy Rival Pushes Back on U.S. Peace Plan Favoring Russia
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, a prominent political rival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has stated that he is not involved in any peace settlement discussions with the Kremlin. “President Zelenskyy does [it] himself. It’s not my function,” Klitschko said, distancing himself from the negotiation efforts.
While Klitschko acknowledged that reaching peace would involve “painful” compromises, he was adamant that Ukrainians would never accept long-term Russian occupation. He emphasized the Ukrainian public’s strong resistance to any deal that legitimizes Russian territorial gains.
His remarks come amid tensions over a controversial U.S.-proposed peace initiative that reportedly offers informal recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea—an approach Kyiv staunchly opposes. The plan is at odds with Klitschko’s suggestion that a temporary land concession could be discussed for the sake of ending the war.
These developments unfold as former U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, prepares to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin for continued peace talks. Trump, having returned to office nearly 100 days ago, claims he is applying balanced pressure on both Kyiv and Moscow to bring the conflict to a close—an assertion that Ukrainian leaders dispute.
“You have no idea what pressure I’m putting on Russia,” Trump said Thursday, insisting that his administration is not favoring Moscow despite growing concerns in Kyiv.













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