In Ukraine, they assessed the public’s readiness for territorial concessions

Ukrainian citizens are ready for territorial concessions in Donbas and could approve them in a referendum.

Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.

“If people are told: ‘Here is what we have to give up, but all this will stop, and here is what we will get in return — a strong army, billions for reconstruction, and EU membership,’ then — forgive me for expressing a heretical thought — I think this is something society would be prepared to accept. Provided, of course, that it does not say anywhere that we are forever, finally, and irrevocably giving up some territories,” Kuleba said.

According to him, Ukrainian society should state its position in a referendum, and the peace agreement should be ratified by the Verkhovna Rada. Kuleba believes this would help “legitimize the result in the eyes of the whole people and protect society from Ukrainian political lust.”

In late December 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Fox News that Ukrainians would not approve withdrawing the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Donbas. He also said that 87% of citizens want peace in Ukraine, but 85% oppose withdrawing Ukrainian troops from Donbas.

In the same interview, Zelensky said Ukraine cannot withdraw troops from Donbas because it would “contradict” Ukrainian law, and Kyiv “cannot lose” 300,000 of its citizens.

Russia insists on a full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbas; Ukraine supports halting at the line of contact; and the United States has proposed a compromise involving the creation of a free economic zone in Donbas, which Ukrainians would have to approve in a referendum. Zelensky called the last option “a compromise” and said that in such a case both Russia and Ukraine would need to “take a few steps back.”