Zelensky Vows to Hold Donbas, Rejects Russian Withdrawal Proposal

 

 President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected any Russian proposal for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the eastern Donbas region, warning that such a move would dismantle key defensive lines and give Moscow a strategic advantage for future offensives.

Speaking ahead of a high-profile summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Zelensky stressed that territorial issues could only be addressed after a ceasefire is in place — and that security guarantees for Ukraine must be central to any agreement.

Russia’s reported offer involved halting advances in other Ukrainian regions in exchange for Kyiv pulling back from Donbas, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ukraine still controls roughly 30% of Donetsk, including fortified positions and high ground. Zelensky warned that abandoning these areas would open a “springboard” for Russian forces to push toward Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, and Kharkiv.

The Ukrainian leader reiterated that his country must be directly involved in any negotiations concerning its territory, rejecting suggestions of land swaps as part of a peace deal. “The territorial issue cannot be separated from security guarantees,” he said.

The standoff comes as international attention turns to the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting, which the White House has described as a “listening exercise” rather than a formal negotiation.