Ukraine is not ready to give up all the territories of Donbas, where the most fortified defenses are located. Their loss will open free passage for the aggressor country russia to the center of the country. The corresponding statement was made by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview with the Italian publication Corriere della Sera.
"I want to be clear: I will never leave Donbas and the 200,000 Ukrainians who live there. Why should I do this? Because putin makes it a condition for peace? And immediately after that he will put forward new demands? No, I do not agree," Zelenskyy said.
The President recalled that the most powerful defenses are located in the territory of Donbas. If Ukraine leaves them, it will open free passage to the center of the country for the russian army.
Zelenskyy also said that he does not understand why russia should decide whether foreign troops will be deployed on the territory of Ukraine or not. Despite the fact that there is a 10,000-strong North Korean army group on the territory of russia itself, which took part in hostilities.
In addition, he raised the question of what will happen to foreign troops in Ukraine, for example, American ones. For how long will they be deployed and what will happen if in 10 years another US President decides to withdraw troops, as happened in Afghanistan in 2021.
In this context, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine needs a strong line of defense, and withdrawing from the territories of Donbas will deprive it of such a line of defense.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on February 20, President Zelenskyy said in an interview with AFP that Ukraine is being demanded to leave the territories of Donbas. Pressure on Kyiv on this issue is being exerted by both Moscow and Washington.
Recall that shortly before this, Zelenskyy criticized US President Donald Trump for open calls for Ukraine to make territorial concessions.
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