Russia Sees Ukraine’s Constitution as an Obstacle to Peace Efforts
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said on March 19 that Ukraine’s Constitution is an “obstacle” to peace efforts. According to the state-owned TASS news agency, Shoigu made this statement.
The main issue with the Ukrainian Constitution is that it prohibits any negotiations regarding changes in territory. This means that Ukraine cannot give up any land to Russia as part of a potential peace deal. Russia has occupied one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory and wants to legitimize its control over these areas.
Russia’s occupation began when it annexed Crimea at the start of its aggression against Ukraine in 2014. In 2022, Moscow also declared the annexation of partially occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected recognizing Russian occupation in any peace talks.
Ukraine’s Constitution states that its territory is indivisible and inviolable. President Zelensky considers recognition of Russian occupation to be a “red line” that Kyiv will not cross. Russia also claims that President Zelensky is no longer a legitimate head of state because Ukraine suspended elections that were to be held in 2024.
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