Kyiv’s Territorial Red Line: What Ukraine Constitution Says About Giving Up Land

As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders hold crucial talks with US President Trump to carve out a potential deal to ensure peace in Ukraine and bring an end to the long-drawn Russia-Ukraine war, a major question looms: can Ukraine realistically negotiate away land to end the war? Trump and Russian President Putin recently discussed “land-swapping,” which would particularly require Kyiv to withdraw troops from parts of eastern Donetsk. With Russia already occupying about one-fifth of the Ukrainian territory, here is all you need to know about the Ukrainian constitution states and whether or not Kyiv can hand over land to Russia.

Constitution Keeps Ownership with the People

Under Article 73 of Ukraine’s constitution, any changes to the country’s territory must be approved in a nationwide referendum, and not just by politicians alone, according to a Reuters report published Monday. A referendum, the report said, requires the signatures of three million eligible voters from at least two-thirds of regions.

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Zelenskyy Pushes Back

Zelenskyy, for his part, has said that talks should begin with current front lines, and not concessions. The Ukrainian President insists that he has no mandate to cede land and that territory isn’t his to bargain with. He has also warned that withdrawing troops from fortified Eastern regions would expose Ukraine to deeper Russian attacks.

Trump Questions the Need for a Referendum

Trump, who appears to have been growing increasingly wary of Zelenskyy’s approach, recently told reporters, “He has got approval to go into war… but he needs approval to do a land swap, in remarks that suggest the US President’s push for what he sees is more flexibility in peace negotiations.

Ukrainians Oppose Giving Up Land

Meanwhile, public sentiment is seemingly aligning with Zelenskyy. A June poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 68% of Ukrainians opposed the idea of officially recognising occupied land as Russian, while 78% rejected giving up land still under Ukraine’s control, as reported by Reuters. Even proposals like informal (de facto) recognition, without legal formalisation, got only 43% support, with 48% voting against it, the report further said.

Does Peace Require Land?

Ukraine’s constitution clearly bars unilateral land cession. Zelenskyy, who has been reflecting Ukrainians’ will as a puublic representative, has stressed that any real change must involve a national referendum. For now, most Ukrainians are standing firm on their land and constitutional rights, seeing any concessions as risky and unwanted compromises.

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