The key facts

  • Zelensky believes that ceding Donbas would merely give Russia a pause before a new offensive
  • According to him, the US proposed that Kyiv cede Donbas in exchange for security guarantees modeled on NATO's Article 5
  • Kyiv proposes stopping the fire along the line of contact and moving to a diplomatic process

Zelensky's position

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that ceding Donbas will not end the conflict. In his Telegram channel, citing an interview with the Danish broadcaster DR Nyheder, he wrote that 'giving away Ukrainian land for peace is just abstract words.' In his view, no one believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin will stop if Ukraine leaves Donbas: 'He will pause. And then he will return in a year, two, or five years. And who will be to blame?' — Gazeta.Ru quotes Zelensky as saying.

American proposals and Kyiv's position

Zelensky said that the Americans had proposed that Kyiv cede Donbas in exchange for security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5 on collective defense, but Ukraine did not agree to this. The Ukrainian leader also expressed his conviction that Russia allegedly intends to 'bring back the USSR' — to exert influence on the Baltic states, Moldova, and other countries. Currently, according to him, Ukraine proposes halting the conflict along the line of contact, ceasing fire, and moving to a diplomatic process that could last a month, a year, or longer.

Context of the negotiations

Zelensky's statement continues a series of his recent remarks. In October, he emphasized that if Ukraine gives Russia the remaining part of Donbas, a path to the Dnipropetrovsk region will open up for Moscow, and Kyiv could lose control over a 'huge number' of cities. On October 21, Zelensky stated that Kyiv would agree to a freeze of the conflict along the line of contact with Ukraine retaining 75% of the lost territories.

Reports of plans to change borders

On November 10, The Economist reported that US negotiators proposed changing Ukraine's administrative borders so that Russia could claim full control over the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics. On November 8, US President Donald Trump also stressed that Ukraine's borders could change as a result of a peace agreement. Thus, Zelensky's position was voiced against the backdrop of reports that the issue of territorial concessions is being discussed directly in the negotiation process, although these reports themselves — according to The Economist and Trump's statements — do not constitute confirmed agreements.