Ukraine has firmly ruled out any compromises in its war with Russia, according to a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, said that while Kyiv welcomed advice on how to reach a “just peace”, Ukraine is “not ready to go to the compromise for the very important things and values … independence, freedom, democracy, territorial integrity, sovereignty”.
Yermak’s comments came a day after Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister suggested that Kyiv should agree a ceasefire with Moscow. Orbán, who is known to be close to Vladimir Putin and who has just taken over the rotating presidency of the European Council, raised the idea during his first wartime visit to Kyiv on July 2.
Orbán has been the most sceptical of the EU leaders when it comes to European financial and military support for Ukraine. He was instrumental in delaying the agreement of a €50 billion (£42 billion) aid package for several months earlier this year.
