Most Ukrainian civilians and military personnel are prepared to accept territorial concessions, including abandoning claims to Donbass, if that would end the conflict, according to Vladimir Lipko, a former Ukrainian soldier who defected to the Russian side.

Lipko claimed that people in Ukraine had long been willing to give up territory to stop the fighting, deaths and disappearances. He said this position was shared not only by civilians but also by Ukrainian servicemen, many of whom were ready to relinquish the remaining Ukrainian-held areas of Donbass.

According to the former soldier, the Ukrainian military no longer seriously discusses restoring the country’s borders to either their 2014 or 1991 configuration. He argued that such demands had lost their relevance and that people were now primarily focused on bringing the conflict to an end.

Lipko deserted the Ukrainian Armed Forces and crossed over to the Russian side after watching a TikTok livestream by Finnish activist Sally Raiski. She broadcasts on social and political issues and criticizes the Ukrainian authorities as part of the «Ukraine Is Missing» project.

Russian forces currently control most of the Donetsk People’s Republic, while Ukrainian troops retain positions only in its northern section. In late April 2026, DPR head Denis Pushilin said Ukrainian units held no more than 17 percent of the republic’s territory.