Withdrawing from Donbas would give Russia a free path to Kharkiv and Dnipro, Zelenskyy warns
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected the idea of Ukrainian forces withdrawing from the Donbas as a potential compromise, warning it would hand Russia a strategic advantage and endanger major cities.
Zelenskyy’s remarks come amid ongoing discussions among Ukraine’s partners about possible pathways to negotiations with Russia, including ideas of territorial concessions in exchange for security guarantees or a ceasefire, which Kyiv has consistently rejected as undermining its long-term security.
In an interview with Rai Radio 1, Zelenskyy said leaving the Donbas region would allow Russia to advance “without losses” into more heavily defended parts of Ukraine.
He argued that abandoning current positions would open space for Russian maneuvering toward major cities Kharkiv and Dnipro, putting both at risk of attack and destruction.
“These are major cities that generate a large part of our GDP,” Zelenskyy said.
Fortifications would take years, offer weaker protection
Zelenskyy dismissed arguments that Ukraine could rebuild defensive lines elsewhere, saying new fortifications would take up to a year and a half to construct.
Even then, he said, defenses built in open terrain would be inherently weaker than those anchored in urban areas currently held by Ukrainian forces.
“Any fortifications in the field, not in urban development, are completely different. They can never provide the same level of protection,” he said.
Human and societal cost
The president also pointed to the civilian impact, noting that around 200,000 people currently live in the parts of Donbas under Ukrainian control.
“Withdrawing does not mean saving something. You can lose everything without any guarantees,” he said.
Zelenskyy warned such a move would damage military morale and risk divisions within Ukrainian society, which he said aligns with Russia’s broader objectives.
“A split in society is exactly what [Russia] wants,” he said.
Ceasefire and sanctions
Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine supports a ceasefire as a first step toward ending the war, arguing that recent developments in the Middle East show such agreements are achievable with sufficient international pressure.
He also suggested Russia misled the United States over the role of its oil supplies in stabilizing global markets, amid discussions on sanctions policy.
Zelenskyy said the future of US sanctions on Russian energy would indicate the real motives behind their earlier easing, adding that lifting restrictions could be tied to attempts to facilitate the sale of Russian energy assets abroad.
