Ukraine will not cede land that could be Russian springboard for new war, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian leader sees no sign of Russia preparing for ceasefire after reports of frontline breach in Donbas

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. File picture: Heinz-Peter Bader/AP

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine could not agree to a Russian proposal to give up more of his country’s territory in exchange for a ceasefire because Moscow would use what it gained as a springboard to start a future war.

The Ukrainian president said he did not believe that Donald Trump supported Russia’s demands, and he expressed hope the US leader would act as an honest mediator when he meets Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.