Diplomat: Our red lines are not territory but language and church
A Ukrainian diplomat has expressed the view that preserving statehood is not primarily about retaining territory.
Lana Zerkal, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine and former Deputy Foreign Minister (2014–2019), said in an interview with Radio Svoboda what she believes are Ukraine’s true “red lines” in negotiations with Russia.
“I don’t think the issue is framed for us in such a way that territory is our red line,” Zerkal asserted. According to her, statehood is preserved not through land, but through faith and language.
“Statehood cannot be maintained if we are forced to accept the Russian Church (clearly referring to the UOC – Ed.) and the Russian language. And we must maintain our army. These are our three key factors and red lines,” the diplomat stated.
Zerkal also claimed that the issues of faith and language were central to the 2022 Istanbul agreements, which she referred to dismissively as “just a piece of paper.”
Earlier, the UOJ reported that, according to Mykyta Poturaev, those who oppose the law banning the UOC are threatening national security.
