Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is under growing pressures as the fight against the Russian invasion drags on. This war began in March 2022 when Russia waged a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, it has continued to amaze the world and alarm the international community. Even as talks continue for some kind of peace agreement, Zelenskyy has been resolute that he will never agree to giving up any Ukrainian territory to Russia.
Russia has countered with a plan for Ukraine to give up land as part of a peace deal, a plan that Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has flat out dismissed. “Russia is insisting that we give up territories, but we don’t want to cede anything,” he stated during a recent address. The Ukrainian leader emphasized the difficulties surrounding territorial disputes, noting that “there are difficult problems concerning the territories and so far there has been no compromise.”
With talks of a resolution continuing, the United States has presented a peace plan to help end the violence that has continued for more than six weeks. That’s why this particular proposal caused an outcry among the Ukrainian officials and their supporters, for it comes to enhance and support Russia’s stances. US officials say they are close to the finish line on an intra-Afghan peace agreement. As of this writing, Ukraine has yet to commit to signing the current framework.
Like the U.S., Europe has been struggling since the start of the war to freeze Russian assets. Together, these actions are a mighty economic sanction. Over £180 billion of Russian central bank assets have been frozen in European banks and financial institutions since 2022. Specifically, around £160 billion of these assets are held at Euroclear, a subsidiary central securities depository based in Brussels. The Belgian government had been concerned about future liabilities resulting from asset seizures. Secondly, they are afraid of retaliation from Moscow.
In the UK, government ministers have expressed an openness to unfreezing £8 billion of Russian assets frozen in the UK to fund Ukraine’s recovery. This latest round of financial assistance is the latest sign of Western nations’ long-term commitment to strengthen Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression.
Zelenskyy has reiterated the importance of international support from both European and American allies, stating that Ukraine requires this assistance to effectively manage its situation. He underscored the importance of working toward a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine.” Most importantly, he stressed that any resolution should respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.