From Indiatimes · Aryan Singh · · 1m 50s
Zelenskyy warns Donbas deal won't stop Putin's war
Zelenskyy says ceding Donbas for peace is absurd as Putin prepares for another invasion.
In brief
Zelenskyy says ceding Donbas for peace is absurd as Putin prepares for another invasion. Ukraine's president warns that surrendering Donbas to Russia for security guarantees won't end Putin's war, predicting Russian forces could return in one to five years. Originally reported by Indiatimes.
Zelenskyy warns on Donbas deal
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warns that ceding Ukrainian land for peace is absurd and won't stop Putin's war.
“Ceding Ukrainian land for peace is just abstract words. It's not only about reality, even more about philosophy”
Putin's past actions contradict peace promises
Zelenskyy points to Russia's capture of Kyiv during 2022 invasion despite claiming focus on Donbas and protecting Russian-speaking populations.
“He kept saying he was defending russian-speaking people and then tortured hundreds and thousands to death in bucha and other places”
Zelenskyy questions security guarantees
Zelenskyy says no security arrangement could be trusted without clear and enforceable guarantees against future Russian aggression.
“Nobody trusts putin to stop if we leave donbas. He will pause. Then he will come back in one year, two years, or five years”
US security offer lacks clarity
Zelenskyy reveals American representatives asked whether Ukraine would exchange Donbas for security guarantees but offered no NATO membership.
“This is why when americans asked, 'Can you exchange donbas for security?' I said right there, 'Can you tell me what it means? What security? Nato?'”
Ukraine's nuclear disarmament history
Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
“Ukraine agreed to relinquish its nuclear arsenal under an international disarmament arrangement formalised through the 1994 Budapest Memorandum”
Budapest Memorandum commitments broken
Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and full-scale invasion in 2022 violated the Budapest Memorandum's promises to respect Ukraine's sovereignty.
“Russia's annexation of crimea in 2014 and its full-scale invasion in february 2022 exposed the limitations of those assurances”
Zelenskyy predicts Russian return
Zelenskyy warns that Putin could use territorial concessions as a temporary pause before returning to attack Ukraine in one to five years.
“Zelenskyy warned that surrendering donbas would not guarantee an end to russian aggression, arguing that putin could use the concession as a temporary pause before returning to attack ukraine”
Ukraine's nuclear disarmament
Ukraine completed the transfer of its nuclear warheads to Russia in 1996 after joining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
“Ukraine joined the nuclear non-proliferation treaty as a non-nuclear-weapon state and completed the transfer of its nuclear warheads to russia in 1996”
Zelenskyy's stance on security guarantees
Zelenskyy insists Ukraine needs clear security guarantees that explicitly address territorial integrity, not vague promises.
“Zelenskyy questions what would happen if ukraine accepted security guarantees without becoming a nato member”
Zelenskyy's warning on territorial concessions
Zelenskyy states that surrendering Donbas would not end Russian aggression but only give Putin time to prepare for another invasion.
“Zelenskyy warned that surrendering donbas would not guarantee an end to russian aggression, arguing that putin could use the concession as a temporary pause before returning to attack ukraine”
What it means
Ukraine's president warns that surrendering Donbas to Russia for security guarantees won't end Putin's war, predicting Russian forces could return in one to five years.
