Ukrainian president: 'I will not agree to go to war' in separatist-controlled territory

Volodymyr Zelensky.
(Image credit: Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to ensure cooler heads prevail in his country's ongoing conflict with Russia.

In an interview with Time published Monday, Zelensky spoke about his determination to reach a cease-fire agreement with Russia in Ukraine's territory known as the Donbass, where Moscow and its proxies maintain two separatist strongholds. The fighting has slowed down, he noted, but it hasn't halted completely. Zelensky wants to achieve peace through negotiations, rather than ramping up Ukraine's military efforts.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.