Peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow will only be possible when Russia exhausts its resources to wage war, Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, stated on December 17.
"I would like to emphasize once again that only the strong are helped, so we must remain strong," Yermak told the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Lviv, as reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
"Real negotiations for a lasting peace will begin only when the enemy no longer has the resources to continue the war," he added.
Pressure is mounting on Kyiv to engage in peace negotiations with Russia, particularly in the absence of a clear military plan to retake lost territories.
But Yermak warned that premature concessions to Russia could have dangerous consequences.
"If Russia is not forced to make a just peace, there will be no peace. There will be a pause, and Moscow will use this pause to restore forces and continue the offensive," Yermak said.
Zelensky Criticizes Hungary’s Approach
During the same event, President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for engaging in peace discussions with Moscow without Ukraine's involvement.
"How will he put pressure on Putin? With a joke, a smile? Let him keep it," Zelensky remarked, referring to Orban's visits and communications with Russian President Vladimir Putin, including a July trip to Moscow and a phone call in December during Orban’s so-called "peace mission."
Divided Opinions
While Slovak President Peter Pellegrini argued in December that achieving peace may require accepting partial territorial losses, some of Ukraine’s European allies rejected this approach.
Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski argued earlier this month that Western nations should pressure Russia—not Ukraine—into peace negotiations, emphasizing the importance of stopping the war on Ukraine’s terms.
