Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the surrender of Donbass would not bring lasting peace, as according to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin would only temporarily stop the war to launch a new offensive in the future.
"Nobody believes that Putin will stop if we give up Donbas. He will just take a break, to return in one, two or five years. And who will be to blame then?" Zelensky declared in an interview with Danish broadcaster DR Nyheder, parts of which he published on Telegram.
He stressed that Russia's previous actions show that Moscow's territorial claims should not be taken as a guarantee of its true intentions. As an example, Zelensky recalled that Putin had talked about Donbass, but during the full invasion had also ordered an advance towards Kiev.
"Putin was talking about Donbass, but he decided to occupy Kiev, our capital. His words were about Donbass, but the reality was Kiev," the Ukrainian president said.
He also cited the killings and torture of civilians in Bucha, in the Kiev region, and in other territories occupied by Russia. According to him, Moscow's claim that it aimed to protect the Russian-speaking population was not consistent with the actions of Russian forces on the ground.
Zelensky also questioned the security guarantees that Ukraine would receive in exchange for territorial concessions. He said that when US officials raised the possibility of exchanging Donbas for security guarantees, he asked whether this meant Ukraine's membership in NATO.
"According to them, not NATO, but something similar to NATO," Zelensky said, pointing to the response from US officials.
"Similar? But of course you don't want the answer to Donbas to be 'something similar.' You want a clear answer to Donbas. That's your goal. And that's Putin's goal today," he added.
Zelensky warns Europe of consequences of cutting aid
The Ukrainian president warned that cutting off European military and financial support for Ukraine would jeopardize the security of the entire continent. According to him, a strong Ukraine is essential for the defense of Europe.
"A skeptical attitude towards aid to Ukraine is not in the interest of any European country, because in reality the issue is about Russia. From a pragmatic point of view, a strong Ukraine is important, even necessary," he declared.
Zelensky described two possible scenarios if Europe were to cut off aid to Kiev.
In the scenario he described as milder, Russia would intensify hybrid attacks against European countries, including Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Germany, Finland, and Denmark.
While in a more dangerous scenario, according to him, Russian forces could advance further towards Europe, while Moscow would try to expand influence over former Soviet republics, including the Baltic states and Moldova.
He also warned that Russia could threaten maritime security by blocking the Baltic Sea, as it has done in the Black Sea.
Ceasefire along the current front line, the fastest path to peace
Zelensky said the quickest way to end the war is to stop fighting along the current line of contact, establish a ceasefire and move to diplomatic negotiations.
"The quickest way to end Russia's war is to maintain the current positions and move towards negotiations. The decisive point is the decision to stop right where we are, to implement the ceasefire and to move to the diplomatic process," he said.
According to the Ukrainian president, negotiations could last for months or even longer, but a ceasefire would stop the loss of lives, enable a reduction in mobilization, and give the Ukrainian economy the opportunity to return to normal functioning.
He acknowledged that such an agreement would raise many issues to be resolved, including the demarcation of the line of contact, the operation of a monitoring mission, areas that could be demilitarized, and financing the reconstruction of Ukraine.
However, according to him, the ceasefire is the format that enables the cessation of fighting.
Zelensky warned that Russia may reject an immediate ceasefire, insisting first on negotiating a broader agreement that would cover multiple issues.
"If Putin rejects the ceasefire and says: 'No, I want a long-term plan that includes various, complex and sensitive issues, and only after we sign this plan will we stop the war,' this simply means that he does not want to stop the war," the Ukrainian president declared.
Meanwhile, Ukraine and Russia have privately shown some willingness to compromise on the possibility of a territorial swap ahead of U.S.-brokered peace talks in Abu Dhabi, Reuters reported, citing a U.S. official.
However, according to the same source, any agreement on the territories is expected to be addressed in the final stages of negotiations, once other issues have been resolved.
Ukraine continues to oppose Russia's demand for full control of Donbas, while Moscow has not given up its territorial claims.
Zelensky has stated that he is ready to meet directly with Putin to resolve outstanding issues, but has insisted that Ukraine will not cede territory or recognize Crimea as part of Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, Andriy Melnyk, said that a direct meeting between the two presidents may be necessary to achieve political progress. He added that Zelensky is ready to meet with Putin anywhere, except in Moscow./Telegraph
