Is territorial swap with Russia possible? Zelenskyy gives clear answer

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kyiv is not considering swapping border areas for territories captured by Russia in the east. According to him, the occupiers’ strategic goals in Donbas remain unchanged, despite a temporary “scaling back of ambitions.”

The president made the remarks while answering journalists’ questions.

On the impossibility of territorial trade

Responding to journalists’ questions about a potential exchange of Ukrainian territories — including areas in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions — for Russian-occupied parts of the Donetsk region, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that such comparisons were unequal in scale.

“We cannot compare these lands. We are not talking about exchanging small border areas for the large territory of Donbas or the Donetsk region that we currently control,” Zelenskyy said.

Why Russia clings to Donbas

The head of state explained the difference between the situation along the border and in eastern Ukraine.

1. Border areas: Holding these territories is extremely difficult for Russian forces, Zelenskyy said, expressing confidence that Ukrainian troops will eventually drive the occupiers out completely. “So this is not a gift for them,” he added.

2. Donbas: The east remains the Kremlin’s main objective. Although Russia’s “appetite has somewhat decreased,” its strategic goal of seizing the region has not been abandoned, the president noted.

Zelenskyy concluded that any comparison of these territories in the context of an “exchange” is inappropriate, as Ukraine’s aim remains the full restoration of its territorial integrity.