On the evening of December 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded on social media to Russia's stance on Donbas, emphasizing that Ukraine will demand compensation from Russia for national reconstruction.
On December 28, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
Zelenskyy stated bluntly, "As for withdrawing troops from Donbas, it's an open secret that this is what Russia wants. In their fantasies, they wish we simply didn't exist on our own country's territory. These illusions have persisted for years. But we have our land, our territorial integrity, our oblasts, and our interests. We will act in accordance with Ukraine's interests."
He further said, "We want Russia to pay us—and it must be reparations. What matters to us is securing funds to rebuild our oblasts. There are also reparation-linked loans—we've already resolved this issue with European countries, as most of the frozen assets are concentrated in Europe. I'm pleased they support our position. We will receive the first tranche of $100 billion over the next two years. Without war, we would use this money to rebuild our country. If we must defend ourselves, we also have the funds to cover defense expenses."
This statement underscores Ukraine's firm stance on territorial integrity and financial compensation in peace negotiations. Zelenskyy also denied Russian allegations that Ukraine attacked Putin's residence, calling it a "typical Russian lie."
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