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

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.

"I will not agree to go to war in the Donbass," he said. "I know there are a lot of hotheads, especially those who hold rallies and say, 'Let's go fight and win it all back!' But at what price? What is the cost? It's another story of lives and land. And I won't do it."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Zelensky added that if his restraint doesn't satisfy Ukrainian society, the electorate will eventually choose someone else to make the decision.

"I cannot send them there," he said, referring to soldiers. "How many of them will die? Hundreds of thousands, and then an all-out war will start, an all-out war in Ukraine, and then across Europe." Read the full interview at Time.