Ukraine may have to cede territory in order to secure ‘temporary’ peace with Russia, Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko told the BBC in an interview published Friday.
More than three years into its invasion, Russia occupies large swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine.
As the US pushes both sides towards a peace deal, neither Kyiv nor Moscow have publicly signalled they are willing to give up territory.
‘One of the scenarios is... to give up territory. It’s not fair. But for the peace, temporary peace, maybe it can be a solution, temporary,’ Klitschko, a former boxing champion, said.
His comments came after US president Donald Trump criticised his Ukrainian counter-part Volodymyr Zelensky for not agreeing to cede Crimea—annexed by Moscow in 2014 -- to Russia in a potential peace deal.
They also came after a Russian attack on Kyiv killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 80.
Political campaigning has been largely on hold in Ukraine during the three-year war and martial law, but the Kyiv mayor is known to have a strained relationship with Zelensky.
He told the BBC that Zelensky may have to accept a ‘painful solution’ to achieve peace, but stressed that the Ukrainian people would ‘never accept occupation’ by Russia.
Klitschko later put out a statement on social media, saying he wanted to ‘clarify’ the interview.
‘I said that Ukraine could be forced to make territorial concessions in exchange for ending the war,’ he wrote on Telegram, acknowledging that ‘this scenario is quite possible.’
But he added Kyiv should insist on keeping its occupied regions in any talks.
‘We understand that the scenario of territorial concessions is contrary to our national interests and we must fight against its implementation to the last.’
Trump is putting pressure on Ukraine and Russia to agree a deal and territorial concessions—including the US recognising Russian control of Crimea that was illegally annexed by Moscow—are believed to be part of his proposals.
Klitschko has criticised Zelensky and is rumoured to have political ambitions in the country, which is expected to hold elections when fighting ends.
Moscow launched its invasion in 2022 and occupies large parts of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
