Medinsky Rules Out Territorial Swaps with Ukraine

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Russia and Ukraine currently do not see prospects for territorial exchanges, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky told the author of "Vesti" Information Service Evgeniy Popov in an interview.

Medinsky referred to a statement made by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the St. Pyotrsburg International Economic Forum in 2025, when Putin said: "Wherever the foot of a Russian soldier steps, that is ours."

Medinsky noted that proposals and discussions about a possible territorial swap occasionally emerge in the media, but he sees no basis for such a scenario.

He also highlighted the situation along the border. Following the Ukrainian military incursion into the Kursk region, a decision was made to establish a security zone along the Russian border. This zone has already grown significantly and, according to the Kremlin representative, will continue to expand.

Medinsky separately outlined a broader goal of the negotiation process — the formation of a new security system in Europe. He assessed that it should become a new agreement on the level of Yalta and Potsdam.

Negotiations between representatives of Russia, the United States, and Ukraine took place in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11. The Russian delegation was led by Medinsky. According to him, the main focus of the agenda was the architecture of European security.

In addition, the parties agreed to conduct a new large-scale prisoner exchange. The specific parameters of the exchange will be announced later.