Ukraine will not remove any of its troops from the regions of the country occupied by Russia, today Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared, after calls with US President Donald Trump, and several European leaders to discuss peace negotiations.
“If Russia imposes as a condition the withdrawal of our troops from our territory, it means they don’t want a ceasefire and don’t want the end of the war,” Zelensky said.
Russia knows this is a red line for Ukraine, so asking that would prove that Russia “definitely” does not really want to work for an end in the conflict, he continued.
Russia currently occupies several areas within Ukraine, including the Crimea region, much of Luhansk and parts of the regions of Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizehzia.
In an X post on Monday, Zelensky also wrote that it is “crucial” that the United States “does not move away” from and Russia, “because the only one who benefits from it is Putin.”
