I will never abandon Donbas and 200,000 Ukrainians who live there, - Zelenskyy
Ukraine does not plan to abandon all its positions in Donbas, as key defensive points are concentrated there. The withdrawal of troops could create an opportunity for Russian forces to advance deeper into Ukrainian territory.
According to Censor.NET, this was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
Is Ukraine ready to give up Donbas?
Responding to a question about whether Ukraine would be prepared to give up Donbas in exchange for guarantees from its allies, Zelenskyy emphasised that "Russians do not want foreign troops in Ukraine, and Europe must be more firm on this issue."
"I am not going to question whether there are foreign troops in Russia, for example, 10,000 North Korean soldiers. I do not understand why Moscow should decide which troops are stationed on our land," the president stressed.
"But I want to make it clear: I will never abandon Donbas and the 200,000 Ukrainians who live there. Why should I do that? Because Putin (Russian dictator Vladimir Putin - ed.) is imposing it as a condition for peace? And will he immediately make new demands? No, I will not tolerate that," Zelenskyy added.
The best defensive strongholds
The President noted that the best defensive strongholds are located in Donbas, and if Ukraine withdraws its troops, the Russians will have complete freedom of action towards the centre of the country.
"Let's imagine that it is not Europeans but Americans who send their troops: for how long?" he said.
The head of state also drew a parallel with the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.
"What will happen if, in 10 years, not Trump, but another US president decides to withdraw his troops? We need a strong Ukrainian line of defence," he concluded.
What preceded it?
- According to sociological surveys, 53% of Ukrainians oppose territorial concessions..
- President Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine cannot agree to give up its own territories in the process of peace negotiations with Russia, as such a step would contradict national legislation, public sentiment and the actual situation in the temporarily occupied territories.
