Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a possible withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from parts of Donbas would be a strategic defeat for the country, Ukrinform reported, quoted by BTA.
Zelensky commented that the Russian side insists that Ukrainian forces withdraw from the areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, emphasizing that such a move would weaken the army's defensive positions and would have serious military and moral consequences.
According to him, urban areas in Donbas provide stronger protection than newly built defensive lines, and a possible retreat would affect hundreds of thousands of civilians and fighters, as well as the fighting spirit of the army.
The Ukrainian president added that the United States has expressed readiness to continue diplomatic efforts as long as Russia does not show any intention to end the the war even in a scenario of freezing the front.
For his part, the Chief of the Russian General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, stated on state television that Russian forces have captured about 1,700 sq. km of Ukrainian territory since the beginning of the year and are continuing their offensive on various front lines.
Gerasimov pointed to the area of the city of Konstantinovka in the Donetsk region as one of the areas in which Russian units are advancing.