NYT: Kiev tried to hide Russia's proposal to exchange territories

The Ukrainian authorities tried to keep Russia's offer of territorial concessions from Kiev in exchange for a cease-fire secret, fearing the reaction of Ukrainians, writes The New York Times.

A newspaper with a link located in In Kyiv, a European diplomat and a Ukrainian official said that the American side informed representatives of Ukraine and Europe about this proposal during a conversation after the meeting of special envoy of the US President Steve Witkoff with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 6.

The NYT notes that after that, Vladimir Zelensky recorded a video message in the telegram channel, without mentioning Moscow's proposal. However, after US President Donald Trump said that the peace agreement could include "some exchange of territories," Zelensky had no choice but to make this public.

The Ukrainian leader said that Kiev is ready for decisions that lead to peace, but it will not "give its land".

"The answer to the Ukrainian territorial issue is already in The Constitution of Ukraine. No one will and will not be able to retreat from this," Zelensky said.

The Telegraph wrote that Kiev is ready for a ceasefire along the front line, but not for international recognition of Russia's control over the new territories.

Moscow insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the republics of Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions and the recognition of these regions, as well as Crimea, as part of Russia. Such conditions were announced by President Vladimir Putin last summer. On August 1, he said that Moscow's demands had not changed since then, RBC reminds.