In brief: Zelensky warned that surrendering the Donbas would only give Russia time to regroup before attacking again. He said a ceasefire along current front lines, followed by negotiations, offers the fastest path to ending the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that giving up the Donbas would not bring lasting peace, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin would merely pause the war before launching another attack in the future.
“No one believes that Putin will stop if we abandon the Donbas. He will merely pause – only to return in a year, two years, or five years. And who will be to blame then?” Zelensky said in an interview with Danish broadcaster DR Nyheder, excerpts of which he published on Telegram.
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He added that Russia’s past actions showed that its territorial demands should not be taken at face value. He recalled that Putin had spoken about the Donbas but had also ordered an advance on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, during the full-scale invasion.
“Putin spoke about the Donbas, yet he decided to occupy Kyiv, our capital. His words were about the Donbas, but the reality was about Kyiv,” Zelensky said.
He also pointed to the killings and torture of civilians in Bucha (Kyiv region) and other occupied areas, saying that Russia’s stated aim of protecting Russian speakers did not reflect its actions.
Zelensky questioned what security guarantees Ukraine would receive in exchange for territorial concessions, recalling that when US officials raised the possibility of trading the Donbas for security, he asked whether they meant NATO membership.
“Not NATO, but something similar to NATO,” he said US officials had responded.
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“Similar? But surely you don’t want the answer regarding the Donbas to be ‘similar.’ You want a clear answer regarding the Donbas. That is your goal. And that is Putin’s goal today,” Zelensky said.
He also warned that ending European military and financial support for Ukraine would put the continent at risk, arguing that a strong Ukraine was essential to European security.
“A skeptical attitude toward providing aid to Ukraine is not in the interest of any European country, because, in reality, the issue concerns Russia,” he said. “From a pragmatic standpoint, having a strong Ukraine is important – even necessary.”
Zelensky outlined two possible consequences of a halt in European aid. In what he called the “mild” scenario, Russia would intensify hybrid attacks against European countries, including Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, Finland, and Denmark.
In a more dangerous scenario, he said, Russian forces could advance further into Europe, while Moscow could seek to expand its influence over former Soviet countries, including the Baltic states and Moldova.
He also warned that Russia could threaten maritime security by blockading the Baltic Sea, as it has done in the Black Sea.
Zelensky said the fastest way to end the war was to stop fighting along the current line of contact, establish a ceasefire, and move to negotiations.
“The fastest way to end Russia’s war is to hold our current positions and move toward negotiations,” he said. “The crucial point here is the decision to stop exactly where we stand, implement a ceasefire, and shift to a diplomatic track.”
He said negotiations could take months or even longer, but a ceasefire would stop the loss of life, allow mobilization to slow down, and help Ukraine’s economy resume normal operations.
Zelensky acknowledged that such an arrangement would raise numerous questions, including where the line of contact would be drawn, how a monitoring mission would operate, which areas might be demilitarized, and how Ukraine’s reconstruction would be funded.
However, he said a ceasefire was the format that could make it possible to stop the fighting.
Zelensky also cautioned that Russia might reject an immediate ceasefire in favor of negotiating a broader agreement covering multiple issues.
“If Putin rejects a ceasefire, saying, ‘No, I want a long-term plan covering various issues – complex, sensitive, and otherwise – and only once we sign this plan will we stop the war,’ it simply means that he does not want to stop the war,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have privately shown some willingness to compromise over a possible territorial exchange ahead of US-mediated peace talks in Abu Dhabi, Reuters reported, citing a US official. However, any territorial agreement would likely come toward the end of negotiations, after other issues had been addressed.
Ukraine continues to reject Russia’s demands for control over the entire Donbas, while Moscow maintains its territorial claims.
Zelensky has said he is ready to meet Putin directly to resolve outstanding issues, but insists that Ukraine will not surrender territory or recognize Crimea as Russian.
Ukraine’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, said a direct meeting between the two leaders could be necessary for a political breakthrough, adding that Zelensky was willing to meet Putin anywhere except Moscow.
Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.
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