“There are no pauses, no delays in (Russia's) operations. They keep pushing their troops forward to seize as much of our territory as possible under the cover of negotiations," Syrskyi said.

Ukraine’s top commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said it would be “unacceptable” for Kyiv to surrender territory in any peace agreement with Russia, warning that Moscow is using ongoing diplomatic talks as “cover” to seize more land by force.

Speaking to Sky News in an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine via a translator on Dec. 5, Syrskyi said a “just peace” can only begin with a ceasefire along the current line of contact followed by negotiations.

“Our main mission is to defend our land, our country, and our population,” he said. “Naturally, for us it is unacceptable to simply give up territory. What does it even mean – to hand over our land? This is precisely why we are fighting; so we do not give up our territory.”