Zelensky admits impossibility of reclaiming Ukraine’s Donbass, Crimea

“De facto, these territories are currently under Russian control. We don’t have the resources to regain them. We can only rely on diplomatic pressure from the international community to compel [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to engage in negotiations,” he told Le Parisien in a video interview.

Zelensky was asked about the compromises Ukraine is willing to make “to end the war”.

However, he responded negatively when asked whether Kiev could temporarily abandon its claims to Crimea or Donbass.

Previously, former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, now head of the Munich Security Conference, acknowledged the possibility of temporary territorial concessions by Ukraine to secure peace.

He suggested that the ceasefire line should encompass the Russian-controlled regions of Donbass and Novorossiya, which Ukraine still considers its own, “though this is not entirely realistic in the near future”. He added that NATO membership for Ukraine could be considered only for the territories it currently controls, provided Ukraine permanently renounces claims to the disputed areas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin previously outlined the conditions for resolving the conflict in Ukraine, which include the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbass and Novorossiya, Kiev’s refusal to join NATO, the lifting of Western sanctions against Russia, and the establishment of a neutral, non-nuclear status for Ukraine.