http://archive.today/2026.02.04-161406/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-donbas-region.html

In public statements, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine remains opposed to a unilateral withdrawal from the Donbas. But he has also occasionally hinted at flexibility, saying that both Russia and Ukraine must be prepared to compromise as Ukraine comes under pressure on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.

Polling reflects a growing openness to territorial concessions.

In May 2022, two months after Ukrainian forces repelled the Russian Army around the capital, Kyiv, a poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 82 percent of Ukrainians believed that the country should not surrender territory under any circumstances.

In the institute’s most recent survey*, published on Monday, 40 percent of respondents said they would support giving up the Donbas in exchange for security guarantees.

The two figures are not directly comparable, because earlier polls did not attach security guarantees to the question about ceding territory. But the finding tracked with other survey data showing a rising acceptance of territorial concessions.

For Ukrainians, the security assurances must mean “a guarantee that there will be no renewed attack, and that partner countries are responsible for ensuring this,” said Oleh Saakian, a political analyst and co-founder of the National Platform for Resilience and Social Cohesion, a think tank.

Mr. Zelensky has said that Ukraine is ready to sign deals with Europe and the United States on security guarantees. While European nations have vowed to station troops in Ukraine after any cease-fire, it remains unclear whether they would agree to actually fight Russia in defense of Ukraine. In any case, Russia has said it opposes the plan to station Europeans inside Ukraine.

* https://kiis.com.ua/?lang=eng&cat=reports&id=1583&page=1