Zelensky rules out ceasefire if Russia insists on Ukrainian retreat from occupied regions
President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed his administration’s refusal to withdraw troops “from our own land,” rejecting any Russian ceasefire terms that would require further retreat from Ukrainian regions currently occupied by Russian forces. “I don’t know what ‘principles’ are in the memorandum,” Zelensky said, referring to Vladimir Putin’s comments earlier that day about his phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelensky argued that Moscow has no genuine interest in a ceasefire or ending the war if it insists on Kyiv relinquishing the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions — areas Russia annexed in September 2022 but still does not fully control.
Zelensky said Ukraine could develop its own vision for any memorandum once the Kremlin presents a concrete proposal. However, he stressed that “no one will surrender their land, their territory, their people, or their homes.”
“This isn’t about President Trump. With all due respect, this is our land, our state, our army, and our independence. The real question is what Ukraine can and cannot afford to do. No one will withdraw our troops from our territory. It is my constitutional duty — and the responsibility of our military — to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Zelensky said.
The Kremlin has repeatedly demanded that Kyiv withdraw its forces from the four Ukrainian regions Moscow annexed in September 2022. Sources familiar with the May 16 direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators say Putin’s emissaries also demanded that Kyiv recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea and threatened to seize two more eastern regions: Sumy and Kharkiv.
