Head of the Office of Vladimir Zelensky Kirill Budanov* said in an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al Modon that Ukraine will eventually regain all lost territories.

According to him, Ukrainian society will reject any claims to what it considers its land, and all such territories will inevitably be returned over time.

Earlier, the Financial Times reported that the United States believes Kiev must withdraw from Donbass as part of a conflict settlement. At the same time, according to the publication, Ukraine is willing to discuss territorial issues only if it receives security guarantees from Washington.

On December 30, 2025, following a meeting with US President Donald Trump, Vladimir Zelensky rejected the idea of withdrawing the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Donbass.

On January 23, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbass is a key condition for the Russian side. Presidential aide Yuri Ushakov also described such a step as an essential element of the overall peace settlement plan.

* Kirill Budanov is included by Rosfinmonitoring in the list of extremists and terrorists.