Zelenskyy refuses to hand over Donbas to Russia in exchange for peace agreement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ruled out the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbas region during discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump and other Western leaders, an unnamed source said.

According to the source, following the Alaska summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, it appeared that the U.S. president was eager to strike a deal quickly, Caliber.Az reports, citing Western media.

“Trump told Zelenskyy that [Russian President] Putin had proposed freezing frontlines elsewhere as part of a deal if Ukraine completely withdrew its forces from the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. But Zelensky said this was impossible,” the source was quoted as saying.

The report noted that Donbas “serves as a fortress, preventing Russia from advancing deeper into Ukraine.”

On August 15, U.S. President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The summit, which excluded Ukraine, failed to secure a ceasefire but explored a potential settlement.

Following the meeting, Trump briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on August 16, proposing a plan reportedly involving Ukraine ceding territory, particularly in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in exchange for a frozen frontline elsewhere, as suggested by Putin.

By Khagan Isayev