Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed suggestions that ceding territory in the Donbas region to Russia would lead to lasting peace. He emphasized that such concessions would only fuel further aggression from Moscow.
During a recent statement, Zelensky expressed skepticism about the notion that Russia’s territorial ambitions are limited to eastern Ukraine. He warned that yielding to Russia’s demands in Donbas would be a perilous path that would not resolve the conflict.
“Honestly, I don’t believe this is all that Russia demands. Our withdrawal from Donbas will not end the war. Russia is Russia, and you cannot trust it,” he stated.
This response comes amid discussions among some U.S. policymakers who speculate that Russian President Vladimir Putin might agree to a ceasefire in exchange for officially recognizing Moscow’s control over parts of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s firm stance on its territorial integrity, viewing territorial concessions as a grave mistake that would merely provide the enemy with time to regroup for another offensive.
Key points from Zelensky’s remarks include:
- Lack of trust in the Kremlin: Any agreements with Russia that lack security guarantees are worthless.
- Commitment to territorial integrity: Ukraine will defend every inch of its land.
- Short-sightedness of concessions: Abandoning Donbas will not halt Putin’s expansionist plans for the rest of Ukraine.
His comments were made against a backdrop of increasing diplomatic pressure and ongoing efforts to find a resolution to the conflict.
In Kyiv, officials maintain that a just peace can only be achieved based on international law and the restoration of Ukraine’s borders as they were in 1991. Any plans involving territorial trade are viewed as capitulation that merely postpones, rather than prevents, a larger catastrophe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejected the idea of ceding Donbas to Russia, stating that such concessions would only exacerbate the conflict. He emphasized Ukraine's commitment to its territorial integrity and warned against trusting agreements with Moscow.