Zelenskyy: Ukraine Will Not Hand Donbas to Russia, Warns Moscow Will Only Issue Ultimatums Without Strong Ukrainian Positions at the Front
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine will not cede the Donbas to Russia, arguing that the region is central to the entire course of the war and that without strong positions held by Ukraine’s Armed Forces at the front, Russia will only continue issuing ultimatums rather than negotiate seriously, UATV English reports.
“Donbas is essentially a question that concerns the entire war, and without strong positions by the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the front, Russia will only issue ultimatums,” Zelenskyy said.
The president said Ukraine, the United States, and European partners will discuss new ideas for ending the war next week. He also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of using intensified strikes on Ukraine in recent days as a tactic tied to Russia’s upcoming elections.
“Constant terror in recent days is Putin’s new tactic ahead of the elections. We will respond,” Zelenskyy said.
Separately, Zelenskyy said he met with representatives of more than 60 companies developing countermeasures against jet-powered Shahed drones, adding that three to five of the companies have already shown promising results.
At the same press conference, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said significant progress had been made during talks in Moscow, which continued in Kyiv.
“We have made significant progress in Moscow, there were many other important, compelling ideas that we discussed there, and now in Kyiv,” Witkoff said.
Witkoff said both sides will need to make certain compromises and narrow their remaining disagreements.
“We believe we have all the necessary prerequisites to achieve this goal. As Jared said, resolving issues like this is not easy — if it were simple, everyone would be doing it. It is extremely difficult. But we are serious about this, we care about it, and we hope this will lead to a successful, peaceful, and diplomatic settlement,” Witkoff said.
The remarks follow a series of high-level meetings this week between Ukrainian officials and the U.S. delegation led by Witkoff and Jared Kushner, part of an intensified diplomatic push involving Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow toward ending the war.
Read also: Battlefield Gains Strengthen Ukraine’s Hand in Negotiations, American Side Had Come to Kyiv to Restart the Negotiating Process, — Main Statements From Zelenskyy, Witkoff and Kushner
- Last
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- September, 06
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
News by day
7 of September 2026
