Zelenskyy: Ukraine Lacks Strength to Regain Donbas and Crimea, Calls on Allies to Increase Pressure on Putin

The Ukrainian army does not have the strength to recapture Donbas and Crimea, but Ukraine cannot give up these territories, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with Le Parisien on December 16.

“We cannot give up our territories. The Ukrainian Constitution forbids us to do so. De facto, these territories are now controlled by the Russians. We do not have the strength to regain them,” Zelenskyy said. “We can only count on diplomatic pressure from the international community to force Putin to come to the negotiating table.”

Zelenskyy went on to question why Western allies, despite their support, failed to provide Ukraine with sufficient military assistance at Russia’s full-scale invasion outset.

“I am surprised: why is the West, which supports us, taking such care of him? Why, from the beginning of the war, were we not massively armed? My speech may seem insolent. But I have the impression that everyone is terrified of Putin’s Russia. He is living in impunity. We need a strong America and Europe to put pressure on Putin and to stop this war,” stated Zelenskyy.

Previously, Zelenskyy emphasized that Russia’s war on Ukraine can only end with the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the prevention of future Russian aggression.

“The war can only end with the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the prevention of further aggression from Putin and Russia, ‘ Zelenskyy said in a press conference in Kyiv on August 24.