Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the country would not give up the Donbass region to end the war against Russia. He believes resistance to Russian attacks in the region could affect the overall course of the war. Also, he doesn’t think the Kremlin will give up Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, even if it wins in Donbass.
“I don’t trust either the Russian military or the Russian leadership. So we understand that even though we fought and they left Kyiv, that doesn’t mean that if they win Donbass, they won’t [avançar] in the direction of Kyiv”, says Zelenskyj in an interview with CNN, which was published this Sunday (17).
In addition to security, the Ukrainian President cites the effectiveness of the military group operating in the Donbass region and “surviving the war from the start” as other reasons for the significance of the victory in the region. “Russia wants to surround them in order to destroy them,” he says.
Picture: UOL Art.No
Eastern Ukraine is important for Russia
The Donbass region is the industrial center of Ukraine and is where the breakaway regions of Luhansk and Donetsk are located. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s insistence should rule the entire expanse, from the Mariupol area to the northern border between Ukraine and Russia.
For Putin, Ukraine is promoting genocide in the eastern region where Donbass is which needs to be liberated. In the more than 50 days of war so far, attacks on cities still controlled by Ukraine in the eastern region have been recorded.
The conquest of Donbass means a victory in the war that could lead to a new territory like Crimea being annexed by Russia in 2014. A loss would mean a big failure for Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reckons that a major battle could take place in Donbass during the ongoing war.
Zelensky believes in support through action
In the CNN interview, Zelenskyy expressed disbelief at other countries’ support for Ukraine during the war.
“The only faith there is is believing in ourselves, believing in our people, believing in our armed forces and believing that countries will support us not only with their words but also with their deeds,” he said Ukrainian President.
He took the opportunity to reiterate a call for more military equipment that he had made since the beginning of the war. Zelenskyi dismissed the idea that the Ukrainian military didn’t know how to use them.
“We are ready to use any kind of equipment, but it has to be delivered very quickly. And we have the ability to learn how to use new equipment. But it has to come quickly,” he said.
Zelenskyy does not rule out diplomatic talks with Russia, but questions the conditions for the dialogue.
“If there is an opportunity to speak, we will. But only under a Russian ultimatum? So it becomes a question of attitude towards us, not whether the dialogue is good or not,” he said.
Russia demands surrender in Mariupol
Russia demanded the surrender of Ukrainian soldiers who resisted in Mariupol and promised to spare the lives of those who laid down their arms. Even after the ultimatum deadline, Ukraine’s PM says the armed forces will “fight to the end.”
Prime Minister Denys Shmygal denied that the Russians had taken over the city in an interview aired this Sunday (17) on American television ABC: “Our armed forces, our soldiers are still there. They will fight to the end,” he said.
Shmygal dismissed claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that the Russians would win the war.
“No great city has fallen. Just [a cidade de] Kherson is under the control of Russian forces, but all other cities are under the control of Ukraine,” Shmygal stressed, specifying that more than 900 municipalities, including the capital Kyiv, remain free from Russian occupation.
The head of the Russian Defense Control Center, ColonelGeneral Mikhail Mizintsev said: “All of them [ucranianos] those who lay down their arms are guaranteed to have their lives spared.” According to Mizintsev, Ukrainian fighters are “in a desperate situation, with practically no food and water”.