Zelensky Issues Defiant Three-Word Response to Trump-Putin Call

Zelensky Rejects Putin's Demand for Ukrainian Withdrawal: "It's Our Land"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand for Ukrainian forces to withdraw from the partially occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Zelensky reiterated, “It’s our land, we won’t withdraw our troops from our territory,” according to The Kyiv Independent. His comments came on the same day that Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a widely publicized phone call regarding a possible peace process.

Putin’s demands include the full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the four regions Moscow claims to have annexed in 2022—areas it still does not fully control. He previously annexed Crimea in 2014. Kyiv has consistently rejected any proposal that involves surrendering territory.

Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of the humanitarian organization Hope for Ukraine, told Newsweek that Putin’s conditions for a ceasefire are “impossible to meet,” underscoring the unlikelihood of a breakthrough. He warned that the Russian leader appears intent on pushing deeper into Ukrainian territory, eyeing regions like Dnipro, Sumy, and Kharkiv.

Despite Trump’s optimism following his two-hour phone call with Putin, Zelensky’s response underscores how far apart the two sides remain. Trump claimed the conversation yielded an agreement to begin bilateral negotiations on a ceasefire and potential peace treaty. He also said he had spoken with Zelensky and European leaders, floating the Vatican as a possible location for future talks.

Putin later told journalists that Russia would provide Ukraine with a "memorandum" outlining the terms and timeline for a peace deal. However, these terms reportedly include sweeping changes to Ukraine’s leadership and military capabilities—proposals seen as non-starters in Kyiv and among its Western backers.

Zelensky confirmed Ukraine remains open to direct talks with Russia and a full, unconditional ceasefire—on the condition that Moscow stops stalling and offers genuine concessions. He emphasized that if Russia insists on terms Kyiv cannot accept, “it means they don’t want peace.”

Boyechko added that Ukraine would not accept a ceasefire if it involved halting Western arms shipments or limiting Ukraine’s defense forces, calling such proposals a prelude to deeper Russian incursions.

Eric Lies, a fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s U.S. division, said Putin has routinely delayed negotiations while pressing for one-sided concessions. This pattern, he said, underscores the importance of continued Western military aid to Ukraine. “Until Putin is shown that he cannot continue fighting in Ukraine without unacceptable losses, he won’t stop,” Lies told Newsweek.

Meanwhile, Justin Logan of the Cato Institute noted that Putin remains hesitant to agree to even a short-term truce without broader talks on reshaping European security—something unlikely to gain traction in the current climate.

As speculation grows over potential talks at a neutral site like the Vatican, the fundamental obstacles remain: Russia’s maximalist demands and Ukraine’s refusal to surrender sovereign territory.