Ukraine rejects Russia’s demands for capitulation, emphasizing the inviolability of its sovereignty. Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Andriy Melnyk, made these statements during a United Nations Security Council meeting on December 9.
Amid statements by the Russian president regarding “sovereignty” over Crimea and Donbas, Andriy Melnyk firmly rejected the possibility of Ukraine’s capitulation. He assured that Ukrainian territory is not a subject of trade. “We are not at a Christmas fair. We are not at the infamous Cherkizovsky market. Russia wants Ukraine to capitulate. But our lands are not goods, and they are not for sale,” Melnyk emphasized, adding that Ukraine hopes for support from the US to end the war, which he called the bloodiest in Europe since 1945.
The UN Security Council meeting took place against the backdrop of reports from the UN Human Rights Office about the increase in civilian casualties due to intensified hostilities. From June to November of the current year alone, 1,420 civilians were killed and 6,545 were injured, which is 12% more than the previous year.
Earlier, on December 2, US special envoy Whitkoff and President’s son-in-law Kushner held more than five hours of consultations with the Russian leadership in Moscow. However, the official Kremlin stated the absence of a compromise plan for ending the conflict. According to NATO intelligence, Russia still seeks to establish a pro-Russian regime in Kyiv.
On December 8, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine has no right to concede its territories but acknowledged that the US is actively seeking a compromise on this issue.
| Period | Number of Deaths | Number of Injured |
|---|---|---|
| June – November 2023 | 1420 | 6545 |
| Same period last year | – | – |
