Zelensky: Donbas withdrawal would be strategic defeat

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that a Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts would constitute a strategic defeat. He argued that urban defensive positions are superior to any field fortifications Russia could build. Zelensky also suggested Russia does not want the war to end, even on the fastest available terms of a ceasefire along the current contact line. This statement reinforces his administration's refusal to cede territory as part of any peace negotiation.