Zelenskyy: Ukraine not to withdraw from Donbas, as this region is springboard for future new offensive for Russia

Ukraine will not withdraw from Donbas, as Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive, if Ukraine withdraws from it, a third war will break out, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"We will not withdraw from Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part – our territories are illegally occupied. Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive. If we withdraw from Donbas of our own free will or if we are pressured, we will break out of a third war," Zelenskyy said during a conversation with journalists.

The president explained that Crimea was "100%" a springboard for an offensive into southern Ukraine, and "Donbas was one hundred percent a springboard for not sparing Ukrainian citizens, not using our own, not doing any mobilization (sorry for saying that, but that's how it is), and for making the separatists the Russian army."

According to him, one of the strongest parts of the Russian offensive forces was people recruited from the territories of Ukraine occupied after 2014.

"That is, a springboard was being formed for a full-scale invasion. After a full-scale invasion, if today we withdraw from Donbas, from our fortifications, from our reliefs, from the heights that we control, we will clearly open a springboard for preparing an offensive by the 'Russians," the head of state said.

He said that then in a few years Putin will have an open path to both Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, as well as Kharkiv.

"And therefore, in my opinion, any issue of territories cannot be separated from security guarantees. Otherwise, now they want to give them about 9,000 square kilometers, this is about 30% of Donetsk region, and this is a springboard for their new aggression," the president said.