Ukraine holds firm on Donetsk during Washington talks

Zelenskyy signals Kyiv will not trade land as talks with Trump loom, while EU leaders accompany him to the White House.

Ukraine vows to keep Donetsk territory as Zelenskyy heads to Washington

Ukraine awaits talks in Washington with former President Donald Trump, but President Zelenskyy made one point clear: Kyiv will not give up Donetsk territory or land it has not yet controlled. He argued Ukraine’s constitution makes such concessions impossible and stressed that the contact line remains the best basis for negotiations. The Donetsk region has remained a flashpoint since Russia’s 2014 invasion, and Kyiv says it will insist on parameters that preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty.

The message is blunt but strategic. By framing talks around a hard red line, Zelenskyy aims to deter any quick land-for-peace deals that could reshape Ukraine’s borders without broad domestic and international support. Trump’s reported view that peace might be possible if Ukraine cedes territory adds a new layer of uncertainty for Kyiv and Washington’s partners in Europe. At the same time, Kyiv expects a trilateral format that centers leadership from Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the United States, but Moscow has shown little readiness for a binding ceasefire. Europe’s cautious unity over Moldova’s bid to join the bloc highlights a broader risk: a potential split within the region over how far to go in backing Kyiv without triggering a wider confrontation with Moscow.

Highlights

Diplomacy is already delicate; any misstep could widen the rift between Kyiv and its European partners.