The Kremlin said Wednesday that it would not consider exchanging occupied territory with Kyiv as part of any future deal to end the war in Ukraine.
"This is impossible," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Russia has never and will never discuss the topic of exchanging its territory."
Peskov vowed that Ukrainian forces holding positions inside Russia would either be "destroyed" or pushed out.
His comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested Tuesday that Ukraine-controlled parts of southwestern Russia’s Kursk region could be exchanged for Russian-occupied territory in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border offensive into the Kursk region in August, seizing control of areas Kyiv hopes could play a role in future negotiations to end the war.
Talk of a potential resolution comes as Ukraine faces increasing battlefield challenges. Kyiv's forces have been losing ground to better-equipped Russian troops at key points along the front line.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Friday on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, where discussions are expected to focus on the war.
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