KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that it controls as part of a ceasefire deal, a proposal the leader categorically rejected.
Mr. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls, saying that would be unconstitutional and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion.
He said diplomatic discussions led by the U.S. focusing on ending the war have not touched on security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent future Russian aggression and that meeting formats currently being discussed do not include Europe’s participation, both key demands of Kyiv.
Meanwhile, Russian forces on the ground have been closing in on a key territorial grab around the city of Pokrovsk.
Mr. Zelenskyy said the necessity of territorial concessions was conveyed to him by U.S. officials ahead of a summit Friday between U.S. President Trump and Mr. Putin, and in further meetings at the level of national security officials.
It remained unclear whether Ukraine would take part in the Friday summit. European Union leaders also have been sidelined from the meeting, and they appealed to Mr. Trump on Tuesday to protect their interests.
Mr. Zelenskyy said Mr. Putin wants the remaining 3,500 square miles of Donetsk under Kyiv’s control, where the war’s toughest battles are grinding on, as part of a ceasefire plan, in a press briefing on Tuesday in Kyiv.
Doing so would hand Russia almost the entirety of the Donbas, a region comprising Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland that Mr. Putin has long coveted.
Mr. Zelenskyy learned of Russia’s position after holding a call with Mr. Trump and special envoy Steve Witkoff, after the latter’s bilateral meeting with Mr. Putin. Mr. Witkoff told Mr. Zelenskyy that Russia was ready to end the war and that there should be territorial concessions from both sides. Some European partners were also part of the call.
“And that, probably, Putin wants us to leave Donbas. That is, it didn’t sound like America wants us to leave,” he said, recounting the call.
Mr. Zelenskyy reiterated that withdrawing from Ukraine-controlled territory was out of the question, especially as the question of security guarantees for Ukraine, were not being discussed.
“We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part — our territories are illegally occupied,” Mr. Zelenskyy told reporters. “Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive.”
Mr. Zelenskyy said this is what occurred in 2014 when Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula.
Mr. Trump has said he wants to see whether Mr. Putin is serious about ending the war, now in its fourth year.
The U.S. president has disappointed allies in Europe by saying Ukraine will have to give up some Russian-held territory. He also said Russia must accept land swaps, although it was unclear what Mr. Putin might be expected to surrender.
The Europeans and Ukraine are wary that Mr. Putin, who has waged the biggest land war in Europe since 1945 and used Russia’s energy might to try to intimidate the EU, might secure favorable concessions and set the outlines of a peace deal without them.
Referring to the format for ceasefire talks, Mr. Zelenskyy said on Tuesday that the U.S. proposed a bilateral meeting, between the U.S. and Russia, and then a trilateral meeting that would include Ukraine. Mr. Zelenskyy said the presence of Europe was important for Kyiv because these were the only partners offering security guarantees, including funding the Ukrainian army.
European countries’ overarching fear is that Mr. Putin will set his sights on one of them next if he wins in Ukraine.
The Europeans on Wednesday will make a fresh attempt to rally Mr. Trump to Ukraine’s cause at virtual meetings convened by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Mr. Trump did not confirm whether he would take part but did say “I’m going to get everybody’s ideas” before meeting with Mr. Putin.
Russia appeared closer to taking an important city in the Donetsk region, Pokrovsk.
Military analysts using open-source information to monitor the battles said the next 24-48 hours could be critical. Losing Pokrovsk would hand Russia an important victory ahead of the summit. It also would complicate Ukrainian supply lines to the Donetsk region, where the Kremlin has focused the bulk of military efforts.f
