Zelenskyy: Occupation of Donbas is minimum goal Russians want to sell as a victory

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has described proposals for Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk Oblast without a fight as dangerous, noting that, in his view, Russia's real ambitions still extend beyond control of this region.

Source: Zelenskyy speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Zelenskyy said the Russian side is persuading the United States that if Ukraine independently withdraws its troops from Donbas, peace will come as soon as possible, insisting that this is effectively their only demand.

"I think that they never had another goal than only occupation of Ukraine. Minimum what they want [is] Donbas, Donetsk region, but 100% [of the territory – ed.], to sell this like a victory to their society, maybe even not to their society [...] but I think maybe to himself," Zelenskyy said, adding that Russian leader Vladimir Putin can "sell" any decision to the Russian public.

He emphasised that Ukraine cannot simply leave its own territory in exchange for other sovereign territories where thousands of people live.

"It's a historical mistake that nobody answered to Putin directly in 2014. In 2014, his army came without uniforms. It means that he was afraid because in 2022, he came in uniform, in tanks, [with] armoured vehicles, missiles etc. [...] If we give him this opportunity to feel this victory, we don't know what he will do next," Zelenskyy said, noting that he conveyed these arguments to the United States.

He also highlighted that even with potential US or other forces present in a hypothetical neutral zone, no one could fully control what would happen in territories not under Ukrainian control.

Quote: "We saw what happened in Afghanistan. I'm not comparing these things, but I think that if Putin wants to come and occupy us, and if they provoke something, to my mind, there is a big chance that the people who will stay there – maybe not Americans, I mean somebody else – I think that they can go out. In this case, Putin will provoke; of course, not by themselves they will go out, but he will provoke, and they will go out. What will be? [There] will be a big occupation of Ukraine, a lot of losses."

Background:

• Zelenskyy also expressed hope that the negotiation process involving the US and Russia on a potential end to the war will not slow down due to changes in the Russian negotiating team.
• New talks on Ukraine are planned in Geneva, where Russia intends to send Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky.
• Recently, Rustem Umierov, Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, revealed the composition of Ukraine's delegation for this meeting.

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