Zelenskyy says it would be unfair if Ukraine withdraws forces from east and Russia does not

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he believes it would be unfair for Ukrainian troops to leave part of Ukraine's east that they currently control if Russian forces do not also withdraw.

Source: Zelenskyy during an online conversation with journalists on his way to Berlin

Quote: "I believe that as of today a fair possible option should be 'we stay where we stand'. And this is true, because this is what a ceasefire is – the sides stay where they are, and then they try to resolve all general issues diplomatically. I know that Russia doesn't view this positively, and I would like the Americans to support us on this issue.

But to our signal 'we stay where we stand', the Russians respond that we must leave Donbas or they will occupy it anyway...

And then the US said: let us have such a compromise – the Russians will not enter part of our east, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine will withdraw. I do not think this is fair, because this is an economic zone, who will manage it? If we are talking about some kind of buffer zone along the line of contact, if we are talking about some kind of economic zone, we believe there should only be a police mission there and that troops should withdraw. In that case, the question is very simple.

If Ukrainian troops withdraw by 5-10 km and so on, for example, then why do Russian troops not withdraw deeper into the occupied territories by the same distance? Therefore, this is a question that does not yet have an answer. But it is a very sensitive and very hot issue."

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