Ukrainian PM Shmyhal denies Ukraine is negotiating territorial concessions with anyone

Prime Minister Shmyhal emphasized that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently stated that Ukraine will not surrender its territories.

"The territorial integrity and sovereignty of our state is our top priority, as outlined by the UN Charter and international law. We have never had any mandate to negotiate territorial concessions," Shmyhal said.

On March 11, Ukrainian and U.S. delegations held talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which lasted over eight hours.

On March 12, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the issue of territorial concessions was discussed during the Ukraine-U.S. negotiations.

President Zelenskyy reaffirmed that Ukraine will never recognize the occupied territories as Russian.

On March 13, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that his representatives had discussed which Ukrainian territories would "be retained and those that would be lost," as well as other aspects of a potential final agreement.

After a NATO defense ministers' meeting, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth argued that Ukraine's inability to return to its 2014 borders should not be seen as a concession to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but rather as a realistic approach.