Prominent Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko has ignited fierce debate by saying Kyiv is "losing the war" against Russia and suggesting it should consider making controversial compromises with Moscow in the name of peace.
Former President Petro Poroshenko's opposition party ejected Honcharenko from its faction in parliament late on October 5, but his statements may continue to elicit strong opinions as Ukraine heads toward a harsh winter amid relentless Russian attacks.
Remarkable unity has enabled Ukraine to survive -- and inflict damage on Russia -- in a war in which Moscow believed it could subjugate the country within weeks of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia's slow advance has come at an enormous cost and Ukraine has made gains of its own, pushing Moscow's forces back in some areas.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin has showed no willingness to compromise on territorial control and other key issues as the all-out war approaches the five-year mark, and a September survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicated 75 percent of Ukrainians would "allow negotiations with Russia to end the war now."
However, the pollster stressed this doesn't necessarily mean they would support making concessions to Russia. Sixty-two percent of respondents to the same survey said they are ready to endure the war for as long as necessary.
In a Telegram post on October 2, Honcharenko said the recent Russian strikes on Kyiv bridges, power infrastructure, and other vital targets show Ukraine is "approaching a huge problem" and that the government's reaction reflects a "lack of understanding of reality."
"Right now, the reality is this: We are losing the war; we are losing a huge number of people; we don't have our own money not just to pay for the war but even to keep the country functioning," he wrote, adding the best course of action is to "seek peace and try to improve our situation."
'To Tell The Truth'
In subsequent posts and comments to media outlets, Honcharenko laid out some ideas about how to do that, including by seeking agreements with Russia on specific aspects of the conflict -- such as strikes on ports, commercial enterprises, and schools -- as opposed to a broader deal on ending the war, which could come later.
"[There] can be no winner in this war," he wrote, arguing that Ukraine and Russia are "at parity."
"Therefore, there is only one way out: negotiation. Negotiating means making concessions to one another. I understand that this is painful, but there is no other option," he wrote. "Someone needs to have a serious conversation with the people. And someone needs to finally tell the truth."
The suggestion that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his government risk losing the people's trust came weeks after a highly public dispute over the departure of popular Defense Minister Mykhaylo Fedorov, who warned of a "crisis of governance" and suggested the country's leaders should be "more honest with society."
Among other things, Honcharenko suggested Ukraine should "hint that we are ready to talk about neutrality," which sparked criticism and concern about handing Putin, who wants Ukraine barred from ever joining NATO, a veto on Kyiv's foreign policy and freedom to choose its allies.
Across Ukraine, some public figures and private citizens recoiled at Honcharenko's proposals, equating them with moves toward surrender and pushing back against his assertion that their country is losing the war.
Others welcomed his words, saying the daily killing of civilians and widespread destruction of vital infrastructure are real challenges that the authorities should openly and honestly discuss with society.
A False Hope?
Critics noted that Russia has shown little interest in partial or gradual agreements, such as rejecting recent calls for a halt to attacks on power and energy infrastructure. Instead, it has insisted on a comprehensive peace agreement that meets its demands.
"You are giving a false hope for the end of the war, knowing full well that Putin is NOT READY to hold any negotiations, except for surrender. Stop playing on the feelings of unhappy, tired people," military recruiter and commentator Serhiy Marchenko wrote on Facebook.
"I read Honcharenko's plan. I didn't appreciate it. You can't make an agreement with a lion while he intends to bite your head off," wrote Iryna Tsebermanovska, a journalist and volunteer for the war effort. "The lion should be shot."
Political analyst Ihor Semyvolos said the problem with calls for "hard compromises" with Russia is that they misjudge Moscow's intent.
"You can't negotiate with someone who thinks you don't exist," he wrote, referring to Putin's frequent, false suggestions that Ukraine is not a real country and should not be fully sovereign.
Others railed against Honcharenko in more vitriolic language.
By contrast, economist and financial analyst Oleksiy Kushch called Honcharenko "the first elected representative to articulate a rational plan for ending the war."
"Finally, voices advocating for rational strategies are beginning to be heard," Kushch wrote.
Meanwhile, another prominent lawmaker -- Rada finance committee chairman Danylo Hetmantsev, who is a member of Zelenskyy's Servant of the People party -- also called on October 2 for a more active search for a way to end the war through negotiations.
Normal planning, investment, and recovery are impossible due to the war, Hetmantsev wrote on Telegram, so "intensification of negotiations and peace should be our top priority."
He called on "people of peace" to unite "to give the authorities a basis for making difficult decisions necessary to preserve the country and win."
Live Debate
Zelenskyy reacted to Honcharenko's statements in remarks published on October 4, suggesting the lawmaker was sending "abnormal messages" and that preserving unity is the responsibility "primarily of the people's elected representatives."
"Everyone wants the war to end, everyone is doing what they have to do in their place," Zelenskyy said. "We don't need to sow panic. There are enough challenges and blows. Nobody needs chaos. That's what Russia is trying to achieve."
After days of internal debate, Poroshenko's European Solidarity party announced it was ejecting Honcharenko from its faction in the Verkhovna Rada, citing his "public positions on the end of the war and the future security architecture of Ukraine."
Honcharenko defended his proposals in an appearance on the RFE/RL Ukrainian Service program Svoboda Live on October 5, challenging critics who said they amounted to capitulation.
"If capitulation means achieving peace, stopping the war, while preserving Ukraine and preserving Ukraine as a European state, including joining the European Union, then how is that capitulation?" he asked.
"I'm saying that in any war there can be only three outcomes: a military victory by one side, a military victory by the other, or an agreement between them. Fortunately, and thanks to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia cannot seize all of Ukraine, as it wanted to. Unfortunately, we cannot liberate our territories today. We cannot take Moscow and defeat it so that Russia capitulates," Honcharenko said. "That is also the reality we are in. It is very painful for us, but that is how things are. And therefore, every day we simply lose people, our future, the state, the economy, and territories. What for?"
"In my opinion, we need to negotiate urgently. We need to sit down at the negotiating table urgently and find a way out of this war. I see no other path," he added.
The other guest on the Svoboda Live program, war veteran and former Rada lawmaker Andriy Teteruk, said Ukraine is not losing the war and suggested it is futile to hope Russia will agree to a peace deal that is acceptable to Kyiv.
"Putin expects one single decision from us: readiness to capitulate and hand over the determination of our future to them," he said.
