Zelenskyy: We are not discussing swapping small border areas for Donbas in talks

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that negotiations with Russia do not involve exchanging border areas for territory in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: Zelenskyy in a conversation with journalists

Details: Zelenskyy was asked questions about whether talks include the possibility of swapping Ukrainian territories not occupied by Russia in Donbas for areas seized by Russian forces in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts.

Quote: "We cannot compare these lands. When we talk about border areas, it is very difficult for the enemy to hold them.

The Russians clearly understand that they cannot hold them, and the moment will come when we push them out of these territories.

But Donbas is a goal for Russia. They have not changed their objectives – their appetite has decreased slightly, but only for now.

We are not talking about exchanging small border territories [in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts] for the large territory of Donbas."

Background:

• Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, and member of Ukraine's negotiating team, earlier said that the Russian side had agreed to accept US security guarantees for Ukraine and reported progress in the military subgroup of the talks.
• Zelenskyy also stated that due to hostilities in the Middle East, Ukraine could not currently confirm Abu Dhabi as the venue for a planned meeting with the United States and Russia.

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