Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine cannot agree to a Russian proposal to give up more territory in exchange for a ceasefire, warning that Moscow would use what it gained as a springboard for a future war. The Ukrainian president made the comments ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
Zelenskyy said there was no sign that Russia was preparing to implement a ceasefire, as reports emerged that small sabotage groups had pierced Ukrainian defences in the eastern Donbas region, advancing about six miles in three days. He also warned that Russia was planning new offensives on three parts of the frontline.
“We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do it,” Zelenskyy said. “For Russians, Donbas is a springboard for a future new offensive.” The region demanded by Russia amounts to around 90,000 square kilometres and is heavily fortified, protecting Ukraine’s central cities. He said he had heard no guarantee that a new war would not start once Russia had gained all of Donbas.
The Ukrainian leader said he did not believe Trump supported Russia’s demands and expressed hope the US president would act as an honest mediator. “I do not believe that Putin’s proposal is Trump’s proposal,” he said, adding that Trump is “in the middle, not on Russia’s side.” However, Zelenskyy will not attend the summit and said Putin was not willing to meet him.
Zelenskyy said Putin was desperate to show Russia was winning the war, seeking “a photo of his meeting with President Trump” as a diplomatic win. He acknowledged that Russian groups had advanced about 10 kilometres in several places but said they had no equipment and some had been killed or captured.
