Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Tuesday that both the United States and Russia are pressing Ukraine to cede control of the Donbas region, a move he believes would be rejected by the Ukrainian public in a national referendum.
Zelensky, speaking in an interview with Axios, indicated that US mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had conveyed Russia’s desire for a resolution to the conflict, urging Ukraine to align its approach ahead of ongoing negotiations. Despite this, Zelensky expressed skepticism and cautioned against attempts to force Ukraine into accepting a peace deal perceived as unfavorable. “It is not fair that US President Donald Trump has publicly called on Ukraine, rather than Russia, to make concessions,” Zelensky reportedly said.
Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia were underway in Geneva at the time of Zelensky’s interview, with control of the Donbas – encompassing the Donetsk and Luhansk regions – remaining the primary obstacle. Approximately 10% of the Donbas region remains under Ukrainian control, according to reports.
Zelensky affirmed his willingness to discuss the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas, but only on the condition of a simultaneous withdrawal of Russian troops to the same extent. He similarly reiterated Ukraine’s rejection of Russia’s claims of sovereignty over the region. He described the prospect of unilaterally relinquishing Donbas as unacceptable to the Ukrainian people, stating that such a move would be met with widespread disapproval and a loss of trust in both Ukraine’s leadership and its international partners. “Emotionally, people will never forgive this. Never,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukrainians “can’t understand why” they would be asked to grant up additional land.
While a complete withdrawal from Donbas is viewed as unacceptable, Zelensky suggested that a peace agreement freezing the current line of contact in the region might be more palatable to the Ukrainian public. “I think that if we will place in the document … that we stay where we stay on the contact line, I think that people will support this [in a] referendum,” Zelensky stated. He emphasized that any final agreement must be subject to a national referendum, as agreed upon between the US and Ukraine.
During a previous round of talks, Russian representatives reportedly promised to consult with Moscow and present a detailed position on the territorial issue. As of February 17, 2026, that detailed position had not been forthcoming.
