Zelenskyy explains why Ukraine cannot withdraw from Donbas
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donbas would divide society and that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin would not stop there, according to the president’s interview with BBC.
Read also: Zelenskyy: US and Russia have same demand for Ukraine for ending war
During the interview, the host noted that, according to Zelenskyy himself, the United States and Russia together are urging Ukraine to withdraw from the roughly 20% of Donbas currently under Kyiv’s control, arguing that this could lead to a ceasefire.
Asked whether this would be a "reasonable step" if both sides are demanding it, the president explained why Ukraine cannot agree to such a move.
"I don't look at it simply as land. I see it as abandonment - weakening our positions, abandoning hundreds of thousands of our people who live there. That is how I see it. And I am sure that this 'withdrawal' would divide our society," Zelenskyy said.
Asked whether Putin would be satisfied if Ukrainian forces withdrew from Donbas, Zelenskyy said this would be only temporary and that the Kremlin leader would resume the war shortly afterwards.
"It would probably satisfy him for a while... he needs a pause... but once he recovers, our European partners say it could take three to five years. In my opinion, he could recover in no more than a couple of years. Where would he go next? We do not know, but that he would want to continue is a fact," the president concluded.
He also noted that the key issue now is deterrence factors.
Peace talks and Donbas issue
Since the beginning of 2026, Ukraine, the United States, and Russia have held three rounds of peace talks on ending the war. The central issue remains Donbas, where the parties have yet to reach a common position.
Russia is demanding the full withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the Donetsk region, while Ukraine opposes this and proposes freezing the situation along the contact line. A US proposal to create a free economic zone has also been discussed, but neither Kyiv nor Moscow supports the format.
Meanwhile, media reports increasingly describe possible options to break the deadlock.
According to The New York Times, the parties in recent weeks discussed the idea of a demilitarized zone controlled by neither army, within which a free trade zone concept was also mentioned.
Another report by Die Welt said discussions are ongoing about a scenario in which Ukraine could renounce Donbas as part of a potential peace deal in exchange for accelerated EU membership prospects in the coming years.
