21:21 23-04-2026

Ukraine Signals Donbass Plan Without Territorial Concessions

© Aleksy Zuzansky, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ukraine signals a Donbass solution without territorial concessions, as Kirill Budanov* highlights red lines, ceasefire talks, and ongoing territorial disputes.

Ukraine has a position on the future of Donbass that, according to Kyiv, should satisfy its citizens without requiring any territorial concessions. This follows remarks by Kirill Budanov*, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Budanov* made it clear that, in his view, the country’s stance leaves no room for compromise on land. He said the «red line» is straightforward: Ukraine will not give up any territory, regardless of external pressure. As for Donbass, he indicated that Kyiv has a specific solution in mind-one that it believes will прежде всего meet its own interests-and stressed that no one has the authority to bargain over Ukrainian land.

He did not disclose what exactly this proposed solution entails.

A few days earlier, Budanov* said that negotiators had managed to agree on a ceasefire framework, adding that work on security guarantees for Ukraine was nearing completion. At the same time, he acknowledged that no final agreement had yet been reached on territorial issues.

Previously, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the dispute between Moscow and Kyiv concerns roughly 17–18 percent of the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR).

*Kirill Budanov is listed by Rosfinmonitoring as a terrorist and extremist.