"We're losing the war": Honcharenko suggested negotiating with Russia — in response, people began talking about capitulation

Critics began talking about capitulation, while he himself had previously called preparations for it "state treason"

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03 Oct 2026

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As early as 2020 People’s Deputy Oleksii Honcharenko, criticizing the suspension of purchases of Ukrainian anti-tank missiles “Korsar”, wrote about a possible capitulation of Ukraine and called such a scenario at least state treason.

“You are now preparing our country for capitulation. And this is, at minimum, state treason”.

Six years later, on 2 October 2026, Oleksii Honcharenko published a series of posts outlining his vision for ending the Russo-Ukrainian war. In his Telegram channel the deputy urged negotiating with Russia wherever possible, starting with individual issues.

“NEGOTIATE EVERYWHERE, wherever possible. We cannot negotiate the end of the war all at once. Let’s negotiate everything in the world”.

In the same series of posts Honcharenko explained that he proposes first negotiating the cessation of strikes on specific civilian and economic targets, and after such agreements are implemented moving on to more complex issues.

“Let’s agree to stop strikes on ports. Let’s agree to stop strikes on enterprises. Let’s agree to stop strikes on schools”.

A separate block of his proposals Honcharenko devoted to sanctions against Russia. In Telegram he proposed that Ukraine itself raise the issue of partially lifting them in exchange for concrete concessions from Moscow.

“For example, we could ourselves advocate lifting sanctions on Russia in exchange for the cessation of any long-range strikes, unblocking the Black Sea and restricting hostilities to a section of the front in the Donbas”.

The next subject of possible negotiations the deputy called the neutral status of Ukraine. At the same time he proposed not to cease cooperation with NATO, to continue rearming the Ukrainian army and to seek European funding for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“Let’s hint that we are ready to talk about neutrality. Conditions can be negotiated”.

Speaking about the prospects of Ukraine joining NATO, Honcharenko in the same post said he does not consider membership in the Alliance a goal for which Ukraine should pay an unlimited price.

“For the whole country to die in order to become a member of NATO — that, in my view, is absurd”.

The Russian language, the church and historical memory

Another block of potential arrangements Oleksii Honcharenko called the language issue, the church and historical memory. Ukrainian, he said, should remain the language of education, culture and science, but Russian-speaking citizens should not be banned from using Russian.

“If people want to speak Russian to each other, let them”.

On the church question Honcharenko wrote in the same post that the state, in his view, should control anti-Ukrainian activity but should not forbid people from choosing a religious community.

“If there are a dozen people who want to attend the Russian Orthodox Church, let them”.

Donbas: troop withdrawal and a UN-controlled zone

The most difficult issue Honcharenko called the future of the Donbas. According to the deputy, it should be addressed after agreements on stopping strikes on schools, hospitals, ports, residential buildings and bridges.

“A stop along the line. A neutral zone. Withdrawal of both Russian and Ukrainian troops. A zone under UN control”.

Summing up the proposed approach, Oleksii Honcharenko in the same post said he does not see the possibility of a complete military victory for either side.

“We cannot defeat Russia. Russia cannot defeat us. Let’s talk”.

“I am not proposing to go and capitulate”

After a sharp reaction to his proposals, Oleksii Honcharenko in the evening of 2 October separately replied on his Telegram channel to those who interpreted his words as a call to capitulation.

“I am not proposing that we go and capitulate. I am proposing to NEGOTIATE”.

At the same time Honcharenko there acknowledged that, in his understanding, agreements are impossible without mutual concessions by the parties.

“Unfortunately, in agreements you have to make concessions. And these concessions will have to be made by both us and Russia”.

Capitulation, “begging for mercy” and “Russian info-terror”: reactions to Honcharenko

Statements by Oleksii Honcharenko sparked a heated debate on social media. One of the harshest comments was left by his faction colleague from “European Solidarity”, Member of Parliament and historian Volodymyr Viatrovych. On his Facebook page he wrote that he does not regard the proposed approach as equal negotiations with Russia.

“What Oleksii Honcharenko proposes is not negotiating, but begging for mercy, voluntarily putting your throat under the killer’s knife”.

Journalist Tetyana Danylenko on Facebook assessed the deputy’s statements through the concept of capitulation. At the same time she noted that some politicians, in her view, may be discussing similar scenarios privately.

“Oleksii Honcharenko unpacked the topic of capitulation. Well, at least honestly”.

Journalist, historian and serviceman Vakhtang Kipiani also reacted sharply to Honcharenko’s statements. He linked the emergence of such theses to Russian strikes on Kyiv and called what is happening in the information space Russian info-terror.

“Russian info-terror”.

Oleksii Honcharenko did not leave Vakhtang Kipiani‘s criticism unanswered. On his Telegram channel the deputy stated that his opponents, in his view, are effectively ready to continue the war at the cost of Ukrainian lives.

“The problem is that people like Vakhtang Kipiani prefer more dead Ukrainians than living ones”.

Later Honcharenko continued the polemic on his Telegram channel and said he considers himself one of the few politicians who are now openly raising the topic of peace.

“I am one of the few who speaks about peace. And very soon all my critics will join me”.

“European Solidarity”: peace cannot mean capitulation

After the resonance, the parliamentary faction “European Solidarity”, to which Oleksii Honcharenko belongs, published a separate statement regarding the conditions of a possible peace.