Zelensky Rules Out Donbas Concessions as US Envoys Head to Moscow

President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejected US pressure to make territorial concessions in Donbas on Wednesday, Nov. 11, reiterating that Kyiv will not surrender its sovereign territory to end Russia’s war. Speaking at a joint press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin, Zelensky said American negotiators repeatedly raise the issue of Donbas as part of efforts to reach a peace settlement.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “The American side very often raises the topic of Donbas, part of our Ukrainian land,” Zelensky said. “They think that to end this war, we have to leave our territory. It’s impossible to talk this way with us, with an independent, sovereign country.” Zelensky said Washington was exploring alternative proposals but declined to disclose their details, stressing that progress would depend on the US willingness to pressure Moscow. His remarks followed two days of US-mediated negotiations in Abu Dhabi, where Ukrainian and Russian delegations remained sharply divided over territorial demands and the conditions for ending the war. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, acknowledged that major differences persisted despite the talks. “Over these two days, the parties were able to state their positions directly, and significant differences remain between them,” Umerov said. Russia’s chief negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, meanwhile, ruled out territorial exchanges as part of a settlement, according to Russian state media, signaling Moscow’s continued unwillingness to compromise on territorial issues. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Arrives in Dublin for European Summit Ahead of Talks With US Envoys President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Ireland, where he will join talks with around 20 leaders, hours after the first recent trilateral negotiations ended in Abu Dhabi. Zelensky doubts Putin will deliver concrete answers Despite describing renewed negotiations as an opportunity for progress, Zelensky expressed skepticism about whether Moscow would respond constructively to proposals presented by US President Donald Trump’s envoys. “The Americans flew to Putin with concrete proposals. I would very much like them to return to Dublin with concrete answers,” Zelensky said, speaking in Ukrainian. “I don’t really believe they will. Let me be the skeptic on this team. But there is still hope.” US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday, Nov. 12, before traveling to Dublin for further talks with Zelensky. “It depends on the willingness of the American side to pressure Russia or not,” Zelensky said, emphasizing Washington’s decisive role in the negotiations. He acknowledged that the US negotiating team appeared determined to achieve results before the end of 2026 but warned that Russia’s willingness to compromise remained uncertain. “We understand who we are dealing with,” he said. Ukraine demands US security guarantees, not Russian promises Zelensky insisted that any peace settlement must include concrete American security guarantees capable of preventing renewed Russian aggression. “We need security guarantees from America, not from Russia,” he said. He rejected the notion that Ukraine’s security should depend primarily on Moscow’s willingness to cooperate. “I think it more depends on the US, on their will, because they are leaders of security,” Zelensky said. Negotiators in Abu Dhabi discussed several potential formats for security guarantees, with Kyiv awaiting further responses from Washington and Moscow. The talks also addressed the possibility of a trilateral meeting at the leaders’ level to resolve sensitive questions, including territorial disputes, that negotiators lack the authority to settle. “Such sensitive questions, if we want to decide them and not merely discuss them, need to be discussed at the level of leaders,” Zelensky said. Russian negotiators lacked mandate to answer ceasefire proposals Zelensky said the Abu Dhabi negotiations also covered proposals for a broader ceasefire, including halting attacks on energy facilities, critical infrastructure and targets at sea. However, Russian representatives said they lacked the authority to respond to those proposals, according to Zelensky. “The Russian side says it has no mandate to answer these questions”. Zelensky said the American delegation had agreed to raise the unresolved issues directly with Putin during Thursday’s meeting in Moscow. Washington seeks Putin’s approval for Europe’s role in talks Washington is also seeking Moscow’s agreement to expand the negotiating format to include European representatives. Kushner is expected to raise the proposal directly with Putin in Moscow, as European governments seek formal participation in discussions affecting Ukraine’s sovereignty and the continent’s security. European representatives attended meetings around the Abu Dhabi negotiations but were not formally included in the core trilateral talks. Zelensky welcomed what he described as a more positive US attitude toward Europe’s involvement, insisting that European countries must have an equal voice in shaping any settlement. “This war is in Ukraine, this war is in Europe, and ending this war without Europe’s participation would be unfair and, frankly, impossible,” he said. He urged European leaders to select specific representatives before the end of November rather than remain on the sidelines of US-mediated negotiations. Despite his doubts about Moscow’s intentions, Zelensky said Kyiv would continue pursuing a diplomatic solution, while standing firm on Ukraine’s sovereignty and the need for credible guarantees against renewed Russian aggression. Sevinj Osmanqizi is an experienced journalist who writes extensively for Kyiv Post on foreign policy, international security and geopolitics. Based in Washington, D.C., her work focuses on Ukraine, Russia’s war and the broader post-Soviet space.