As talks intensify over a possible Ukraine-Russia peace agreement, the Cypriot political leadership has expressed concern about the risk of imposing a solution on the embattled country, while also setting a precedent that may come back to haunt Cyprus.
During a videoconference of the Coalition of the Willing – a group of 33 countries pledging support for Ukraine against Russian aggression – on Tuesday afternoon, President Nikos Christodoulides reiterated Cyprus’ position that no solution can be imposed on Ukraine.
According to Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis, Christodoulides noted in the discussions that Cyprus welcomed the heightened diplomatic engagement of the United States to achieve peace in Ukraine, and its ongoing consultations with Ukraine and European partners.
EU must have say
Highlighting that no solution can be imposed on Ukraine, the president added that “issues directly concerning the European Union must be the result of collective deliberation and institutional decision-making within the Union itself”.
Christodoulides reaffirmed Cyprus’ full respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, a position “fully aligned” with Cyprus’ own historical experience and long-standing principles, said Letymbiotis.
Fears of setting precedent
Meanwhile, members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed concern on Tuesday over the progress of peace negotiations, during a meeting with a delegation of the Ukraine-Cyprus Friendship Group of the Ukrainian Parliament.
With reports coming out of the US-Russian talks that Ukraine will have to cede territory to Russia in any new peace deal, Cypriot MPs noted in a parliamentary statement, that the outcome of negotiations on Ukraine “may set a precedent that Cyprus, as a country that has been the victim of invasion and ongoing occupation, may be called upon to confront in the future.”
Committee chair DISY MP Harris Georgiades said: “Cyprus deeply understands what it means for a state to be targeted by an authoritarian and revisionist neighbour who, through the threat of military force, seeks to undermine its sovereignty and very existence.”
Progress on EU membership
For his part, Ukrainian delegation head Oleksandr Tkachenko expressed appreciation for Cyprus as a steadfast partner of Ukraine, recalling that the Republic of Cyprus was among the first countries to clearly and immediately express solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
Tkachenko also noted that Cyprus’ Presidency of the Council of the EU in January 2026 comes at a critical juncture for Ukraine, which looks forward to progress in its path toward EU membership.
Regarding the latest US peace proposal on Ukraine, Tkachenko stressed that the country and people of Ukraine long for peace, though the terms apparently being imposed by the Russian side remain extremely harsh, making it particularly difficult to achieve a just and sustainable solution.