Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian public would not accept a peace deal that requires Kyiv to unilaterally withdraw from the entirety of the Donbas region – including areas Moscow has not been able to conquer in 12 years of war – and hand it over to Russia, according to an interview published by Axios on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
As Zelensky spoke to the US outlet, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators were holding a third round of direct talks in Geneva, where control over the Donbas – comprising the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk – remains the central sticking point.
Zelensky said US mediators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had told him Russia genuinely wants to end the war and urged him to coordinate accordingly ahead of the talks. However, the Ukrainian leader said he remains skeptical and cautioned against trying to pressure him into presenting what Ukrainians would see as an “unsuccessful story” of peace.
He described it as “not fair” that US President Donald Trump has publicly called on Ukraine, rather than Russia, to make concessions. While acknowledging Trump’s peacemaking efforts, Zelensky said lasting peace cannot be achieved by “giving victory” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Referendum key to any deal
Zelensky reiterated that Washington and Kyiv agree any peace agreement must be put to a national referendum.
If a deal involved Ukraine simply pulling out of the Donbas and relinquishing sovereignty over the territory Russia is still unable to conquer militarily, he believes voters would reject it. “Emotionally, people will never forgive this,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukrainians cannot understand why they would be asked to give up more land.
By contrast, he suggested that freezing the current front line without formally recognizing Russian sovereignty could receive public backing.
US mediators have reportedly proposed that Ukrainian forces withdraw from areas of the Donbas they still control and allow the territory to become a demilitarized “free economic zone,” though Washington has not taken a position on sovereignty.
Zelensky said he is open to discussing troop withdrawals only if Russia pulls back an equivalent distance.
Talks remain stuck
According to Axios, progress in Geneva has been limited. While military-to-military discussions on ceasefire monitoring mechanisms have been more constructive, political negotiations remain “stuck,” with Russian representatives insisting on full control of the Donbas.
Zelensky said a face-to-face meeting with Putin remains the best way to resolve the territorial dispute and instructed his team to raise the possibility of a leader-level summit in Geneva.
He also signaled that presidential elections could be held alongside a referendum if a ceasefire is reached, though Russia has reportedly agreed only to a one-day pause in fighting for a vote – far shorter than the 60 days Kyiv considers necessary.
Talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in Geneva on Tuesday were described as “very tense,” a source close to the Russian delegation told reporters, according to AFP.
The anonymous source said the session lasted six hours and confirmed that trilateral negotiations would continue Wednesday as planned. “They were very tense. They lasted six hours. They have now concluded,” the source said, adding that it was agreed talks would resume the following day.
Kyiv has repeatedly criticized the head of the Russian delegation, Kremlin advisor Vladimir Medinsky, for lengthy historical digressions that Ukrainian officials say stall substantive negotiations. The Russian delegation also includes more than a dozen officials, among them Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin and representatives linked to Russia’s military intelligence agency.
Moscow is demanding that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the roughly 20% of the Donetsk region still under Kyiv’s control as part of any peace agreement – territory Russia first tried to seize militarily in March 2014 and has been unable. Kyiv has rejected the demand and continues to insist on firm Western security guarantees before agreeing to any settlement.
The closed-door discussions follow two earlier rounds in Abu Dhabi. While a prisoner exchange was agreed in the last round, the framework for a broader peace deal acceptable to both sides remains uncertain.
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s lead negotiator, had said the new session would focus on “security issues and humanitarian matters.”
Trilateral talks in Geneva are expected to continue on Wednesday.