Why there still is no Russia-Ukraine peace deal
By Easton Martin | December 9, 2025
Efforts to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia remain stalled as the war grinds on with no clear breakthrough in sight. The primary obstacle is territorial control.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained firm that Ukraine will not formally surrender any occupied land, including Crimea and large parts of eastern Ukraine. He has repeatedly stated that recognizing Russian control over these regions would reward military aggression and violate Ukraine’s sovereignty.
From Ukraine’s perspective, any agreement that freezes current battle lines would effectively legitimize Russia’s land grabs. Zelensky has argued that peace without territorial restoration is not real peace, but a temporary pause that invites future invasions.
Russia, for its part, shows little willingness to relinquish territory it currently occupies. The Kremlin considers several annexed regions to be part of Russia, making compromise politically difficult for President Vladimir Putin. Moscow has continued military operations.
The stalemate raises a difficult question for Ukraine: how does Zelensky see this war ending? Publicly, he has maintained that victory means full territorial restoration. How could that happen? No one really seems to know, and the outlook of fighting Russia for it doesn’t seem promising.
For now, neither side appears ready to make the concessions required to end the war, leaving diplomacy at a standstill.
