Zelensky warns: Leaving Donbas would open door to Russian assault on Kharkiv, Dnipro

09.04.2026 21:20

Ukrinform

Ukraine’s withdrawal from the Donetsk region cannot be considered a compromise, as it would ultimately give Russia the opportunity to occupy Kharkiv and Dnipro.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with Rai Radio, Ukrinform reports, citing the President’s Telegram channel.

“We cannot simply speak about withdrawing from Donbas as a matter of compromise. Our withdrawal from Donbas would open up opportunities for the Russian Federation to occupy our most fortified territories without losses. Some people say it would take a year to a year and a half to build new fortifications. But everyone forgets: first and foremost, that is a year and a half. And even if it were less, fortifications in an open field are a completely different matter from those in urban areas. They can never provide equally strong protection,” he said.

According to Zelensky, the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas would give Russia room to maneuver for an assault on Kharkiv and Dnipro.

“And two major cities would be at risk – cities that, incidentally, generate a significant share of our GDP. So many people have died there… The morale of our army would certainly decline. There would undoubtedly be a rift in society. The army – which would surely not support such steps – on one side, and society on the other. And division within society is precisely what Putin is aiming for,” the President noted.

He also added that 200,000 people currently live in the territories of Donbas under Ukrainian control.

“Withdrawal does not mean preserving anything. You leave, and without any guarantees, you risk losing everything. And that is a major risk,” he said.

As Ukrinform reported, in March, while visiting Qatar, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that a condition for receiving security guarantees from the United States would be the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied the Ukrainian President’s statement regarding security guarantees in exchange for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine