Ukraine can still fight for years and will not agree to lose territory, National Guard chief says

Oleksandr Pivnenko, Commander of Ukraine's National Guard, has said Ukraine is capable of continuing the war for several more years and has rejected an assertion by US President Donald Trump that the country would lose without a swift ceasefire.

Source: Oleksandr Pivnenko in an interview with BBC News Ukrainian

Details: Pivnenko said Ukraine's task is to preserve its territory and personnel.

He also said he disagrees with US President Donald Trump's assertion that Ukraine will lose the war unless a ceasefire is reached quickly.

Quote: "We are capable of fighting for several more years, 100%. But wars should ultimately come to an end. In general, on this planet, killing people over territory and resources is something we struggle to comprehend. It has to stop."

Details: Pivnenko explained that, from a military perspective, victory for Ukraine means liberating the occupied territories. He acknowledged that this may not be an immediate priority, but strategically, Ukraine remains committed to this goal.

"Victory for Ukraine in military terms is, of course, to take back its territories," he stressed. "I understand that this may not be a current objective today, but it remains crucial for the future. It may take several decades – that doesn't matter."

Asked whether Ukraine could agree to territorial concessions, he replied that Kyiv is not considering such an option at this time.

"A ceasefire along the line of contact is something we can understand. But no one is going to give up territory," he said.

However, Pivnenko noted that the Ukrainian military will execute any order from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but, in his words, society is unlikely to accept a decision to cede territory after the losses already suffered.

Quote: "We are a country governed by the rule of law. But how would our people perceive this, and why did we even bother defending ourselves in the first place?

It would have been possible to negotiate and simply surrender, for example, Luhansk and Donbas, and end the war, so to speak."

More details: Pivnenko added that people are exhausted by the war and hope for it to end, but the crucial question is, at what cost.

Quote: "Everyone wants the war to end. But the main question for us is, at what cost? Either it's a ceasefire – which I believe everyone would agree to – that would allow for a reassessment of further actions and agreements, or it's the loss of territory. Let's just say that we won't give any territory away, I'm certain."

Background:

• On 13 February, Trump said his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy "has to move" and reach a deal to end the Russo-Ukrainian war.
• Trump's remarks came amid media reports that US and Ukrainian negotiators had discussed the possibility of a peace agreement being signed in March and elections in Ukraine being held in May.
• Zelenskyy told reporters that the US had proposed that the war between Russia and Ukraine be brought to an end by the summer, as Washington's focus would then shift to the US congressional elections.
• On 17 February, Trump said ahead of trilateral talks in Geneva that Ukraine "better come to the table fast".
• On the same day, Zelenskyy said in an interview with Axios that it is "not fair" that Trump continues to publicly call on Ukraine, rather than Russia, to make concessions for the sake of peace.
• The White House reported that "meaningful progress" had been made by both sides during the trilateral talks in Geneva on 17-18 February.

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