Our withdrawal from Donbas will not stop Putin: Zelenskyy calls US expectations short-sighted

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he considers it short-sighted for the US to believe that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin would end the war if Ukraine agreed to hand over parts of Donbas that are not occupied by Russia.

Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with the Financial Times

Quote: "Honestly, I do not believe that this is all that Russia demands. Our withdrawal from Donbas, and then the war will end. Russia is Russia, and you know, you cannot trust them."

Details: Zelenskyy criticised the idea of a temporary ceasefire. He stressed that any halt in hostilities without reliable Western security guarantees would be used by Russia to rebuild its forces for a new offensive.

He rejected Putin's claims that Ukraine needs a pause to regroup, calling this "demagoguery and lies".

"We don't need a pause. We need the end of the war," the president emphasised.

Zelenskyy also said that pressure from US President Donald Trump on Ukraine regarding territorial concessions is currently much stronger than the pressure on Russia.

The president urged the US to hit the Kremlin's "wallet" rather than force Ukraine into capitulation.

"What costs the Russians dearly is stopping their shadow fleet, stopping their companies, their ability to trade, to export energy resources from Russia, stopping sanctions evasion," Zelenskyy said.

Meanwhile, he stressed that he primarily relies on the Ukrainian Armed Forces and domestic weapons production.

Background:

• Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said that Russia's imperial ambitions do not stop at Ukraine but extend to the whole of Europe.
• Putin stated that Russia will continue to significantly expand its military capabilities and urged the population to move towards full militarisation.

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