Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made it clear that he strongly opposes a key element reportedly associated with Donald Trump’s proposed approach to ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In a recent interview with Axios, Zelensky pushed back against the idea that Ukraine should unilaterally withdraw from the eastern Donbas region and effectively hand it over to Russia as part of a peace agreement. He warned that such a concession would not be accepted by the Ukrainian public, stating bluntly that “people will never forgive this.”
Zelensky emphasized that while he is open to discussing mutual troop withdrawals, any such arrangement must be reciprocal. If Ukrainian forces are expected to pull back, Russian troops must retreat by an equivalent distance. He also firmly rejected Russia’s claims of sovereignty over the Donbas region, underscoring that Ukraine does not recognize Moscow’s authority there.
A major sticking point in any potential agreement remains the status of territory currently occupied by Russian forces, particularly the heavily industrialized Donbas area. The question is not only whether Russia would withdraw from land it has seized, but also whether it would be allowed to retain control over areas it has failed to fully capture. For Kyiv, any deal that requires surrendering sovereignty or abandoning Ukrainian citizens in those regions is a nonstarter.
Zelensky also noted that Washington and Kyiv are aligned on one critical principle: any final agreement must be put before the Ukrainian people in a national referendum. If the terms involve sacrificing control over Donbas or compromising the rights and citizenship of Ukrainians living there, the deal would almost certainly be rejected.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts appear to have hit turbulence. Earlier this month, reports emerged of a meeting in Florida between Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russia’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev without Ukrainian participation. The White House and the Kremlin have not disclosed details of the discussion, though Witkoff described it as “productive and constructive” on social media.
The unexpected bilateral meeting raised concerns in Kyiv, especially since Ukrainian officials had anticipated continuing trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi. Those discussions, initially expected to resume on February 1, were later pushed back to February 4–5. The first round of three-way talks, held on January 23 and 24 in Abu Dhabi, had been characterized by all parties as constructive.
For Ukraine, the core issue remains unchanged: peace cannot come at the expense of territorial integrity or national sovereignty. Any framework that pressures Kyiv to concede land while rewarding Russian aggression faces deep resistance not only from Zelensky, but from the Ukrainian public whose approval would ultimately decide the outcome.
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