KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out surrendering any part of the Donbas region to Russia in exchange for a ceasefire, warning it would give Moscow a launchpad for future offensives.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Zelensky said Kyiv would reject any such proposal amid speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin could demand territorial concessions when he meets U.S. President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday.
“If we withdraw from the Donbas today — our fortifications, our terrain, the heights we control — we will clearly open a bridgehead for the Russians to prepare an offensive,” Zelensky said.
He added that Ukraine’s constitution requires a referendum before any change in national territory.
The Donbas — comprising the Luhansk and Donetsk regions — has been partly occupied by Russia since 2014.
Moscow now controls almost all of Luhansk and about 70% of Donetsk. Russia currently holds just under 20% of Ukraine’s total territory.
Zelensky’s comments come as Russian forces push forward in their summer offensive, advancing about 10 kilometres near the eastern town of Dobropillia.
While downplaying the significance of the move, he accused Moscow of staging the gains to create the impression of momentum ahead of the summit.
“It is clear to us that their objective is to create a certain information space before Putin meets Trump — that Russia is moving forward, advancing, while Ukraine is losing,” he said.
The White House has described the Alaska talks as a “listening exercise” for Trump, with aides saying the meeting will give him “the best indication on how to end this war.”
Trump has previously suggested that “some swapping of territories” could be part of a peace deal, a remark that has sparked concern in Kyiv and across Europe.
Zelensky, who will not be present at the summit, said he was unsure what Trump and Putin would “talk about without us,” warning that any agreements reached without Ukraine’s involvement would be “dead decisions.”
He also criticized the choice of Alaska as the venue, calling it a “personal victory” for Putin as it marks a meeting on U.S. soil after years of Western isolation.
On Wednesday, Zelensky is due to join a virtual meeting with Trump, European Union leaders, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in a bid to shore up Western unity ahead of Friday’s talks.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president has warned of potential new Russian offensives in the Zaporizhzhia, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka sectors in the coming days.
