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All the news coverage I've seen have indicated most of Ukraine are united in fighting Russia, saying things like "we will win eventually".

Still, recently in the news was Ukrainian president Zelenskyy firing several of his officials for alleged treason by collaborating with Russia. This seems to imply that there is a faction within the Ukrainian government that's in favor of collaborating with Russia, and by implication in favor of an immediate ceasefire.

Is there any indication that there is a faction in the Ukrainian government favoring an immediate ceasefire? If not, what about in Ukraine at large? As I understand it Ukraine has criminalized collaboration with Russia (which by their definition includes expression support for the war), hence if such a faction exists I imagine it'll either be underground or among Ukrainian exiles.

To clarify: I'm referring to Ukrainians who think Ukraine should implement an immediate ceasefire, but don't identify as Russian (e.g. by taking up Russian citizenship) and will choose to remain Ukrainian afterwards.

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    I'm not sure how you make the connection that Ukrainian officials collaborating with Russia implies favoring peace. To me it sounds more like wartime collaboration, which Wikipedia describes as "Wartime collaboration is cooperation with the enemy against one's country of citizenship in wartime".
    – JJJ ♦
    Jul 20, 2022 at 14:06
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    @JJJ why wouldn't collaboration imply favoring peace? If the person collaborating gets their way, then presumably Ukraine would yield to some Russian demands in exchange for peace. It seems obvious to me that's the end result collaboration would push at.
    – Allure
    Jul 20, 2022 at 14:24
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    @Allure You may be thinking about scientific collaboration where there's some benefit for both parties. The linked Wikipedia page gives one example of collaboration in this conflict: to assist as spotters for the enemy. That's also how I see the term (especially when mentioned alongside the term treason): to help the enemy get an advantage in battle. By your logic, the aggressor would be a peace maker too because they are forcing the situation on the ground to submit the other into accepting the aggressor's peace offer.
    – JJJ ♦
    Jul 20, 2022 at 14:43
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    -1 for framing collaborating with those that start a war of aggression as 'favoring peace' (and by implication, blaming those that resist the aggressor for not wanting peace). It seems like victim blaming to me. Also the idea that there will be a Ukraine when surrendering to Russia seems ... optimistic.
    – tim
    Jul 20, 2022 at 14:47
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    Since your comments mention that Zelensky is "after victory, not peace" and that some in the government may want to "yield to some Russian demands in exchange for peace", I think a more appropriate word for the question is 'surrender' and not 'peace' or 'ceasefire'. The Ukrainian government wanting peace/a ceasefire seems obvious (governments tend to not like having a war in their country), so the terms you're using might be why you've gotten the downvotes/close votes.
    – Giter
    Jul 21, 2022 at 2:20

2 Answers 2

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The two most significant political Parties advocating for peace with Russia are Opposition Platform — For Life (43/450 seats in Rada) and Opposition Bloc (6/450). Both are currently banned.

REFERENCES:

On 24 February 2022 Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine.[55] On this day party member Illia Kyva expressed support for the invasion and blamed the war on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and urged him to resign.[56][57] On 3 March 2022 Kyva was expelled from the party.[57] On 15 March 2022 parliament deprived Kyva of his mandate as a People's Deputy.[58]

On 7 March 2022 the party deprived Medvedchuk, who was charged with high treason in May 2021, of the post of co-chairman of the party; making Yuriy Boyko the sole chairman.[57][1] Medvedchuk had escaped his house arrest on 28 February 2022.[59] On 14 April, he was apprehended once again.[60]

On 7 March 2022 the party also demanded "from the leadership of the Russian Federation to stop the aggression against Ukraine and calls on the participants of the negotiation process to immediately decide on a ceasefire and withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine."[1]

Opposition Platform — For Life: Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposition_Platform_%E2%80%94_For_Life

[Opposition Bloc] forum participants adopted the platform, which mentions that Opposition Bloc is for neutrality and preservation of the unaligned status of Ukraine, and a resolution which demands of the President of Ukraine peace and stopping of all bloodshed, resignation of the government, dissolution of the unlawful armed forces, and prosecution of those guilty in shelling of towns in the East of the country.

Opposition Bloc (Party): Wikipedia (Ukrainian): https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%96%D0%B9%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%B1%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BA_(%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82%D1%96%D1%8F)

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    But both parties are forbiden and one of their leaders Medvedchuk was inprisoned. But evenif not forbiden, none of that parties had something to do with government the last 8 years.
    – convert
    Jul 20, 2022 at 17:16
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    ОПЗЖ had some seats in Rada, so it seems.
    – alamar
    Jul 20, 2022 at 17:37
  • @convert: I listed in my answer the number of seats these two parties have won in the last election in Rada, the parliament of Ukraine. So these folks have been busy advocating for peace and other things.
    – Timur Shtatland
    Jul 20, 2022 at 17:40
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    For some reason you have not included important and well known information that the leader of that party Medvedchuk has strong personal connection to Putin. Medvedchuk is a personal friend and ally of Putin and Putin is a godfather of his child.
    – Salvador Dali
    Jul 20, 2022 at 19:54
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    @TimurShtatland it would be great if you can add this information. You can verify that this is correct by looking at the wikipedia's page about Medvedchuk or by google search. As of right now you answer looks like: oh there are some parties, but they all are banned, so a random person might not realize that the reason that party was heavily pro-Russian is because it was its job to support anything that Putin wanted it to support as their leader was Putin's guy
    – Salvador Dali
    Jul 21, 2022 at 3:39
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The "peace faction" covers most of the Ukrainian government starting from Zelensky himself. All they want is to restore the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and then OK to sign a peace agreement. Only diplomacy can end Ukraine war, as he says.

I am not aware of anybody in Ukrainian government saying they plan to advance into the depth of Russia and take over that country. This does not look like a great plan anyway. Only some pro-russian thinkers envision such threats: "For Russia this conflict is about preservation not only of its elites, but the country itself". I still do not get how this would work.

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    @HK.51 But this is definitely more Russian style than Ukrainian. First, you give out passports and then you come liberate those who don't to be liberated.
    – NoDataDumpNoContribution
    Jul 20, 2022 at 17:02
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    @Trilarion I can think of at least 20 such leaders. The position of "We shall have peace... when you hang from a gibbit for the sport of your own crows" isn't entirely pacifist. Yes, both sides are doing this. Everyone wants peace when it comes as a freebie with all your wishes fulfilled.
    – Therac
    Jul 20, 2022 at 20:31
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    @HK-51 No it's not that both sides are doing it equally. Ukraine hasn't invaded Russia and Russia is not defending itself in Kherson or Charkiw. I would conclude that Russia has definitely prioritized peace much less here.
    – NoDataDumpNoContribution
    Jul 21, 2022 at 6:56
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    I voted this down, because in my understanding the question excludes the support of the war even if it is for homeland defense. Zelenky's current opinion definitely supports the defense as well as the counterattack, and to reconquest even the de facto seceded areas pre-2022. As a sidenote, I remember Zelenky's campaign for presidency, and one of his promises was to bring peace at any cost, which can be understood as a possible compromise on Donbas (again, that was before 2022).
    – Adam Gyenge
    Jul 21, 2022 at 14:17
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    The question is now significantly rewritten. It was initially "is there a peace faction in Ukraine".
    – Stančikas
    Jul 21, 2022 at 15:16

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