Territorial integrity of Ukraine is not subject of bargaining - Stefanchuk

The territorial integrity of Ukraine is not a subject of negotiation, and this is understood by colleagues in Germany, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk has said.

"I spoke with the President of the German Bundestag, Julia Klöckner. My colleagues in Berlin understand very well: without Ukraine there can be no decisions regarding peace. The territorial integrity of our state - enshrined in the Constitution and internationally recognized - is not a subject of negotiation. Ukraine will not agree to "exchanges" or concessions to the aggressor, and will not trade its land or sovereignty," Stefanchuk wrote on Facebook after a telephone conversation with Klöckner on Tuesday.

According to Stefanchuk, stopping the killings and a ceasefire is Russia's unconditional responsibility, and only after that are real political steps possible that take into account both the Ukrainian and European positions. He emphasized that Europe should be directly involved in the negotiation process, because its security is inextricably linked to the security of Ukraine.

"Julia Klöckner and I agreed: peace must be lasting and fair, and it can only be achieved through force and joint pressure on the aggressor. This means maintaining and strengthening sanctions, continuing military and financial support, as well as supporting our course for accelerated integration into the EU," the speaker said.