Zelensky states Ukrainian troops will not exit Donbass

(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that Ukrainian forces will not voluntarily withdraw from the territory they currently control in Donbass, rejecting proposals that the land could be part of a potential swap deal with Russia, according to reports.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Zelensky argued that relinquishing territory in Donbass would only provide Moscow with a “springboard” to launch another offensive in a few years and advance deeper into Ukraine. “We will not leave Donbass. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the main issue – our territories are illegally occupied,” he said.

He added, “Any issue of territories cannot be separated from security guarantees. Otherwise, now they want to gift them about 9,000 square kilometers – this is about 30% of the Donetsk region, and this is a springboard for their new aggression.”

The comments follow remarks by US President Donald Trump, who suggested that any peace deal between Moscow and Kiev would likely involve territorial concessions from both sides. “They’ve [Russia] occupied some very prime territory. We’re going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine,” Trump said on Monday.

The Lugansk (LPR) and Donetsk (DPR) People’s Republics, along with Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, were incorporated into Russia following 2022 referendums. While the LPR was fully retaken by Russian forces earlier this year, Moscow’s control over the other regions remains partial. Kiev continues to claim these territories, as well as Crimea, which joined Russia after the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev.

Zelensky has publicly rejected any territorial concessions, whereas Moscow has insisted that any potential peace agreement must include the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from areas Russia now controls.

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