Zelenskyy: If Ukraine leaves Donbas, Russia may continue the war
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas does not guarantee the end of the war with Russia. On the contrary, he believes that there is a high probability that the Kremlin will use this to prepare for new military actions.
The Head of State emphasised that Russian President Vladimir Putin may simply get a pause to regroup.
Kremlin needs time to prepare
According to Zelenskyy, Russia needs time to form new units and train additional divisions.
The President noted that Moscow could use negotiations or demands for territorial concessions as a way to buy time to restore its offensive capabilities.
Ukraine is not ready to leave its territories
Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine sees no reason to leave the territories it controls and which are well fortified.
He stressed that these fortifications significantly limit the ability of Russian troops to conduct offensive operations.
Fears of a new wave of attacks
The President also said that if Ukrainian forces retreat, Russia could retain a significant number of troops for new attacks.
According to him, it is about 300,000 to one million Russian military personnel, depending on the scale and duration of future offensive operations.
Context.
Russia has repeatedly demanded territorial concessions as a condition for ending the war. The Ukrainian government insists that any negotiations can only take place under conditions that guarantee real security and are not based solely on the Kremlin's promises.
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