Zelensky Warns Ukrainians Would Never ‘Forgive’ US for Ceding Major Region to Russia as Part of Peace Deal: ‘Not Fair’
The Ukrainian public would not accept Kyiv simply handing over the country’s Donbas region to Russia in a peace deal, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday — advising US envoys against continually pushing a version of peace the war’s victims would see as an “unsuccessful story.”
“Emotionally, people will never forgive this. Never. They will not forgive … me, they will not forgive [the US],” Zelensky told Axios, speaking as US, Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Geneva. “This is part of our country, all these citizens, the flag, the land.”
The president said it was “not fair” that President Trump has called on Ukraine — and not Russia — to make concessions to reach a peace deal.
Any change to the country’s recognition of its land would require a referendum approved by the Ukrainian people, according to Kyiv’s constitution.
Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have been working to rapidly seal a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine that would see Kyiv give up even the roughly 15% to 20% of the Donbas that it still controls, turning it into a “free economic zone.” (Read more from “Zelensky Warns Ukrainians Would Never ‘Forgive’ US for Ceding Major Region to Russia as Part of Peace Deal: ‘Not Fair’” HERE)
