Russia is demanding that Ukraine hand over Donbas — Zelenskyy
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that U.S. representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are seeking to reach an agreement that would allow Donald Trump to end the war. At the same time, according to the Ukrainian president, Russia insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas and has not abandoned its plans to seize these territories by force.
Zelenskyy explained that Witkoff and Kushner are trying to find a format for negotiations that would satisfy the Russian side while also bringing the war to an end. However, he said, Moscow is making a demand that Ukraine cannot accept. “In my view, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are very eager to secure a victory for President Trump. And they want to find a format for negotiations with the ‘Russians,’” Zelenskyy said.
The president noted that it is difficult for the American representatives to find a viable agreement because the Russian side continues to demand territorial concessions from Ukraine. “It is very difficult for them to find a format that would allow the ‘Russians’ to agree to end this war without Ukraine withdrawing from Donbas or making other unacceptable concessions,” the head of state explained.
According to Zelenskyy, Russia’s current position is that Ukraine must voluntarily cede part of its territory in the east of the country. If this does not happen, Moscow threatens to seize those territories by force. “The message is that the ‘Russians’ are adamant that Ukrainians must withdraw from the eastern part of their country, or they will seize it themselves,” the president stated. He added that, in his opinion, the Russian leadership is not abandoning this goal even in the face of heavy losses. “The ‘Russians’ don’t care how many casualties they suffer or how long it might take. They still want to achieve this goal,” Zelenskyy emphasized.
Ukraine wants guarantees that Russia will not go any further
Separately, the president raised the issue of future security guarantees for Ukraine. According to him, even if an agreement to end the war is reached, the key question remains: what will stop Russia from launching a new aggression? “I have a question here: who will guarantee us that they won’t go any further?” Zelenskyy said.
The president noted that he currently sees no party that could provide Ukraine with guarantees that Russia will not attempt to continue its offensive after a possible end to hostilities. “I can tell you this: so far, neither the U.S. nor Europe—no one—can provide such guarantees. But it is well known that the ‘Russians’ want to go further,” the head of state emphasized. That is precisely why the issue of security guarantees remains one of the key points in any future agreements.
Zelenskyy mentioned NATO
Among the possible ways to guarantee Ukraine’s security, the president cited NATO membership. According to him, many are currently skeptical about the Alliance’s readiness to counter potential new aggression. At the same time, Zelenskyy pointed out that NATO countries have not yet experienced a full-scale attack.
The president effectively raised the question of how reliable any guarantees would be after the end of the current war if Russia retains the ability to resume military aggression. Thus, according to Zelenskyy, the challenge of the negotiations lies not only in how to stop the current hostilities. Equally important is the question of under what conditions this will happen and what will guarantee Ukraine’s security after the war ends.
Russia has not ruled out the theoretical possibility of an offensive from the Bryansk region toward the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions. At the same time, no Russian troops have been detected in the Bryansk region along this route at present, although the Ukrainian military has spotted Russian military equipment along the border.
Ukrainian defense forces have almost completely liberated the Dnipropetrovsk region from Russian troops. According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, approximately 10 square kilometers remain under Russian control—three small villages where, as the president claims, there are effectively no Russian troops left.
