Russia has firmly dismissed any possibility of exchanging occupied Ukrainian territory in a future peace deal, just hours after launching a deadly missile and drone attack on Kyiv.
On Wednesday, February 12, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected a suggestion from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had proposed swapping Ukrainian-controlled parts of Russia’s Kursk region for Russian-occupied areas in eastern and southern Ukraine.
“This is impossible,” Peskov told reporters. “Russia has never and will never discuss the topic of exchanging its territory.”
He further stated that Ukrainian forces holding territory inside Russia would either be “destroyed” or expelled.
The Kremlin’s remarks followed a wave of Russian airstrikes on Kyiv, which killed one person and injured at least four others.
The attacks damaged apartment blocks, office buildings, and civilian infrastructure, with reports of multiple explosions across the city.
Ukrainian emergency services deployed more than 100 rescue workers to affected areas, working to control fires caused by the strikes.
In response, Zelensky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of showing no intention of seeking peace.
“Putin is not preparing for peace—he continues to kill Ukrainians and destroy cities,” he wrote on social media, calling for increased international pressure on Russia.
Russia’s defense ministry later confirmed it had conducted a “group missile strike” on Ukrainian military-industrial targets, specifically drone production facilities. It claimed all intended targets were hit.
The diplomatic standoff comes as Ukraine faces mounting challenges on the battlefield, with its forces struggling to hold key strategic locations against better-equipped Russian troops.
The situation is expected to dominate discussions at the upcoming Munich Security Conference, where Zelensky is set to meet U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Friday.
Meanwhile, Keith Kellogg, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, is scheduled to visit Ukraine next week as part of efforts to explore a potential resolution to the war.
The visit will take place just days before the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24.