Ukraine will not allow Russia a ‘second attempt’ to divide its territory – Zelenskyy

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that Kyiv will not grant Russia a second opportunity to divide Ukrainian territories, stating that the war must end with a dignified peace. In his evening address on August 9, 2025, the President outlined his view of the Kremlin’s current strategy.

“Everyone sees Putin’s tactics clearly: he is afraid of sanctions and is doing everything to get out from under them. He [Russian ruler Vladimir Putin] wants to exchange a pause in the war, in the killings, for the legalization of the occupation of our land. He wants to gain territorial spoils for a second time,” Zelenskyy said.

He recalled that Putin was allowed to take Ukrainian Crimea, and this led to the occupation of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

“He did not receive pre-emptive punishment when he gathered a contingent on our borders – this led to a full-scale war and the occupation of more parts of Ukraine. Now, Putin wants to be forgiven for seizing the south of our Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, the entire Luhansk region, the Donetsk region, and Crimea. We will not give Russia this second attempt to divide Ukraine. Knowing Russia, where there is a second, there will be a third. That is why we stand firm on clear Ukrainian positions. We must end the war with a dignified peace, based on a clear, reliable security architecture. Our partners are ready to help us with this,” Zelenskyy continued.

He stressed that Putin is “trying to sell a halt to the deaths for the highest possible price.”

“It is important that no one is deceived by this. What is needed is not a pause in the killings, but a real, lasting peace. Not a ceasefire sometime later, in a few months, but immediately. President Trump told me this, and I absolutely support it,” the president said.

In his address, Zelenskyy also said that contacts with the American side regarding efforts to end the war “are ongoing almost around-the-clock at various levels, and we do not make everything public.”

He added that Ukraine has “supported all the proposals” of U.S. President Donald Trump, starting back in February.

“We have ensured meetings with the Russian side, and we have done so constructively. We have conducted exchanges and are preparing the next one. There is already more understanding regarding the lists. We are counting on a result. Likewise, a result is needed at the level of leaders – a dignified result, to save people’s lives, so that the world will value the result and be grateful to the leader who brings it,” Zelenskyy noted.

This statement comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15, 2025. The Kremlin confirmed the meeting. Regarding possible contents of a future agreement between Ukraine and Russia, Trump said this could also include a “territorial exchange.” However, details should only be discussed later.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Putin informed Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, that Russia would cease hostilities in Ukraine in exchange for significant territorial concessions from Kyiv and international recognition of the occupied territories.

Earlier on Saturday, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will not make territorial concessions to Russia during peace negotiations but is “ready for real solutions that will ensure a just and lasting peace.”