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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the concept of territorial concessions to Russia, arguing that such exchanges would not guarantee lasting peace.
The comments follow reports from the Wall Street Journal in August that Putin presented the Trump administration with a ceasefire plan requiring Ukraine to withdraw from all of Donetsk Oblast and recognize Crimea as Russian territory.
Trump had previously suggested that any peace agreement would likely involve territorial exchanges benefiting both sides.
Zelenskyy has consistently maintained that Ukraine will not cede any of its territory as part of a settlement.
According to Zelenskyy during a joint press conference with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Russian President Vladimir Putin would require years and millions of soldiers to fully occupy Donetsk Oblast. Despite Russia currently controlling approximately 75-79% of the oblast, Ukrainian forces continue inflicting heavy casualties on advancing troops while defending remaining territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during their joint press conference where Zelenskyy rejected territorial concessions to Russia. Photo: President’s Office
The Ukrainian leader pointed to Putin’s limited territorial gains over four years of the full-scale war, noting that Russia has failed to capture the remaining approximate 30% of the region despite losing over 100,000 military personnel there.
“For four years he has not been able to occupy even 30% of one region. If he goes further, he will need years, but the question is not only about time, but also that he will have to sacrifice millions of soldiers,” Zelenskyy stated.
UK Ministry of Defence intelligence estimated over one million total of Russian casualties—killed, wounded, or missing—since February 2022 by July 2025. Ukrainian military assessments align closely at approximately one million losses, while independent Russian media outlets BBC Russian and Mediazona have confirmed between 213,000 and 300,000 deaths by August 2025, with additional wounded and missing uncounted in those figures.
Meanwhile, Ukraine also loses people. Since 2022, Ukrainian military losses are estimated at around 60,000 to 100,000 killed and approximately 400,000 wounded.
Donetsk has become Ukraine’s defensive stronghold. Russian forces throw waves of soldiers against fortified Ukrainian positions, suffering massive casualties for minimal territorial gains. The region’s strategic value extends beyond military considerations—it represents Ukrainian identity and constitutional integrity, Zelenskyy argued.
The president emphasized what territorial concessions would mean for ordinary Ukrainians. Displaced residents want to return to their homes despite current circumstances making this unrealistic.
“For someone this is just territory, but for us it is our life, our history, our Constitution,” he said.
Zelenskyy dismissed territorial exchange proposals as lacking substance, citing trust issues with Putin. “If someone supports this crazy idea, then who can guarantee that Putin will not continue [the war]? No one can give guarantees,” he said.
On 2 September, Ukrainian forces have liberated the village of Udachne in Donetsk Oblast after two weeks of house-to-house fighting. The village sits 10 km west of the strategic town of Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian troops repelled 46 Russian assault attempts across multiple settlements in the area.
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