Zelensky refuses to leave Donbass

>Ceding territory to Russia would only lead to a new war, the Ukrainian leader has claimed

>Ukrainian troops will not voluntarily leave the territory they currently occupy in Donbass, Vladimir Zelensky has said, dismissing suggestions that the land could be included in a potential swap deal with Russia.

>Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Zelensky claimed that ceding land in Donbass to Russia would only allow Moscow to begin a new war in a couple of years and push deeper into Ukraine.

>“We will not leave Donbass. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the main issue – our territories are illegally occupied,” Zelensky stated. He alleged that the land would only serve as a “springboard” for Moscow to launch a new campaign against Ukraine in a couple of years.

>“Any issue of territories cannot be separated from security guarantees. Otherwise, now they want to gift them about 9,000 square kilometers – this is about 30% of the Donetsk region, and this is a springboard for their new aggression,” he claimed.

>Zelensky has publicly rejected any territorial concessions, although Moscow has insisted that any potential peace deal must involve the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Russia’s new regions.

https://www.rt.com/russia/622819-zelensky-donbass-ceding-territorry/