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Kyiv Recognizes It Can’t Recapture All Occupied Territory by Force Now, Official Says

A still image taken from a handout video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry’s press-service shows Russian servicemen checking damaged buildings in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, 13 March 2025. (EPA/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/Handout)
A still image taken from a handout video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry’s press-service shows Russian servicemen checking damaged buildings in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, 13 March 2025. (EPA/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/Handout)
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Kyiv Recognizes It Can’t Recapture All Occupied Territory by Force Now, Official Says

A still image taken from a handout video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry’s press-service shows Russian servicemen checking damaged buildings in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, 13 March 2025. (EPA/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/Handout)
A still image taken from a handout video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry’s press-service shows Russian servicemen checking damaged buildings in Sudzha, Kursk region, Russia, 13 March 2025. (EPA/Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/Handout)

A Ukrainian government official said on Thursday that Kyiv understood it could not recapture all its occupied territory through military force from Russian troops right now and that its recovery would have to happen diplomatically over time.

The official, who asked not to be named, told reporters at a briefing two days after talks between US and Ukrainian officials on ending the war with Russia that Kyiv would not recognize Moscow's rights over Ukrainian territory.

The official said that no Ukrainian territorial concessions were discussed at the talks in Jeddah, which saw Kyiv indicate its willingness to accept an interim, 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States, if Russia agrees to the idea.

"Ukraine made it clear it will not recognize Russia's rights over our territory," the official said of the talks with US officials that came as US President Donald Trump pushes for a rapid end to the fighting.

Russian forces control nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory more than three years since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

"If you're talking about the reality that Ukraine cannot recover all of its territory right now by military force, yes we understand this. We understand that some of our land will need to be returned diplomatically, which can of course take time," the official added.

The official said that Ukraine regarded its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal as a "constructive compromise" to make progress towards Trump's objective of establishing a quick end to the war.

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Elon Musk Holds Unprecedented Pentagon Meeting, Wants Leakers Prosecuted

Elon Musk and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laugh at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, US, March 21, 2025 in this screengrab obtained from a video. (Reuters)
Elon Musk and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laugh at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, US, March 21, 2025 in this screengrab obtained from a video. (Reuters)
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Elon Musk Holds Unprecedented Pentagon Meeting, Wants Leakers Prosecuted

Elon Musk and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laugh at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, US, March 21, 2025 in this screengrab obtained from a video. (Reuters)
Elon Musk and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laugh at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, US, March 21, 2025 in this screengrab obtained from a video. (Reuters)

Billionaire Elon Musk took his campaign to cut the US federal government into uncharted waters on Friday, holding an unprecedented top-level meeting at the Pentagon and calling for the prosecution of any Defense Department officials leaking false information about his visit.

Musk met US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for 80 minutes in his first such talks at the Pentagon, which is responsible for a large chunk of federal government spending. It was unclear whether US generals joined that meeting virtually.

The New York Times reported that Musk would be briefed on secret war plans for China, something Musk, Trump and others denied. Musk called the report "pure propaganda" and urged legal action against leakers.

"I look forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon who are leaking maliciously false information to NYT. They will be found," he wrote on X before the Hegseth meeting.

President Donald Trump, who has not yet visited the Pentagon in his second term as president, also denied the story. "China will not even be mentioned or discussed," he said in a post on Truth Social on Thursday about the meeting. Later he told reporters the Pentagon meeting was to address costs.

"Elon was over there to address costs – DOGE – a thing called DOGE, which you have heard about," Trump, referring to Musk's Department of Government Efficiency

Access to a closely guarded military plan would mark a sharp expansion of Musk's role as the Trump adviser who is spearheading efforts to cut US government spending.

It would also fuel questions about conflicts of interest for Musk, who as the head of Tesla and SpaceX also has business interests in China.

The White House has previously said Musk will recuse himself if any conflicts of interest arise between his business dealings and his role in cutting federal government spending.

Musk arrived in a motorcade at the Pentagon on Friday morning and quickly moved upstairs to meet Hegseth who said on X the talks would focus on "innovation, efficiencies & smarter production."

As he departed, Musk was seen joking with Hegseth, and said the meeting went well.

"If there's anything I can do to be helpful, I would like us to have a good outcome here," Musk said as he departed.

Musk's businesses Starlink and SpaceX have a number of Pentagon contracts, raising questions about conflicts of interest as he advocates for innovation and re-prioritization of Pentagon spending to find efficiencies.

Last week, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said she had ordered an investigation into leaks from inside the intelligence community and is also probing internal chat rooms for any misconduct by employees.

During Trump's first term, his administration referred more media leaks for criminal investigation each year than in any of the previous 15 years, according to records released in 2021 by the Justice Department to the independent watchdog group, Project on Government Oversight, in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.