According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia's goal is still to occupy all of Ukraine. Russia is demanding control over Donbas in negotiations in order to present it to Russian society as a victory, but agreeing to this is dangerous.
He said this at the Munich Security Conference on February 14 during a media briefing broadcast by Suspilne.
During negotiations with the Americans, Ukraine hears the idea that if the Armed Forces of Ukraine themselves and as soon as possible withdraw from Donbas, then peace will come as soon as possible. But, Zelensky continued, the Russians have never pursued any other goals than the occupation of Ukraine.
“The minimum they want is Donbas, Donetsk region, but 100%. In order to sell it as a victory for their own society. Maybe not even for society, because sometimes we think it's about society, or maybe for ourselves. This is a victory for, for him [Putin] himself,” Zelensky noted.
The politician emphasized that Ukraine cannot simply withdraw troops from its territory or exchange “one piece for another,” besides, about 200,000 people still live there, and hundreds of thousands in Donbas have died as a result of hostilities.
Zelensky called it a historical mistake that no one in the world responded to Russian aggression in Donbas in 2014:
“He couldn't occupy, he wasn't as courageous as he is today, as he was during this full-scale attack. His army came then. They were without Russian uniforms. This means they were still afraid, because in 2022 they came already in uniform, with missiles, with tanks (…) That's why, if we give him this opportunity to feel this victory, we don't know what he will do next.”
According to Zelensky, even if Kyiv agrees to the US proposal to create a free economic zone in Donbas and even if American troops were stationed there, no one will fully control what happens in territories not controlled by Ukraine.
Earlier, Zelensky stressed that reaching agreements on territorial issues is impossible through the mediation of technical groups – direct contact between the leaders of states is needed. In peace negotiations, territorial issues are complex. On February 13, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky once again rejected Russia's territorial concessions and noted that a significant compromise for Ukraine and the world is that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin “and his friends” are not in prison.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that at the current stage of peace talks, the list of issues necessary to end Russia's war in Ukraine has narrowed, but those that remain concern the most difficult aspects.