Trump on Ukraine ceding land: Russia might get it anyway over next couple of months

US President Donald Trump has said that only a few unresolved points remain in negotiations on a "peace plan" for Ukraine and Russia. He has also attempted to justify the need for territorial concessions from Kyiv by pointing to Russian advances and the desire to save lives.

Source: Trump during a press gaggle aboard Air Force One

Quote: "Look, the way it's going: if you look, it's just moving in one direction [meaning the front line – ed.]. So eventually, that's land that over the next couple of months might be gotten by Russia anyway. So do you want to fight and lose another fifty to sixty thousand people or do you want to do something now?"

Details: Trump said that forging a peace deal is a complicated process, but the parties are beginning to understand that reaching an agreement could be beneficial for everyone. He said the initial proposal consisted of 28 points, but has now been reduced to 22, most of which have been agreed upon.

As for the land issue and the demarcation line, Trump explained that discussions are underway to "clean up a border".

Quote: "They're talking about … trying to clean up a border. You know, you can't go through the middle of a house. You can't go through the middle of a highway. So, they're trying to work something [out]. It's a complicated process; [it] doesn't go that quickly."

Details: Asked about security guarantees for Ukraine and the role of the United States, Trump stressed Europe's contribution. He underlined that European partners will be "largely involved" in the process because they "really want to see it end".

Background:

• The US and Ukraine developed a new 19-point peace agreement during the Geneva talks but left the most politically sensitive issues for the two presidents to decide.
• Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia explained how the new peace agreement is being protected from leaks.

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