Ukraine Will Not Cede The Donbas To Russia
- 7.09.2026, 12:07
New details about the meeting between Zelenskyy, Kushner, and Whitcomb.
U.S. President Donald Trump views ending the war in Ukraine in a broader context than simply ceasing hostilities. The U.S. side is working on agreements that should lay the foundation for a lasting peace and Ukraine’s further economic development, writes “Obozrevatel”.
This was reported by U.S. President’s Special Representative Jared Kushner. The statement was made against the backdrop of negotiations in Kyiv.
Ukraine is counting on new sanctions against Russia
Following the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv is counting on a positive decision from the U.S. regarding the sanctions package against Russia being promoted by Senator Lindsey Graham. According to him, Ukraine expects the bill to be put to a vote in the U.S. Senate.
At the same time, Zelenskyy noted that the American side did not raise the issue of sanctions during the meetings in Kyiv. However, during a conversation with Senator Richard Blumenthal, the president said, the assessment was made that the package has every chance of being approved.
“The Ukrainian side expects that the work of Lindsey Graham, a great friend of Ukraine, will be viewed positively by the U.S. We are counting on these sanctions,” Zelenskyy said.
Jared Kushner’s statements on ending the war in Ukraine
The U.S. President considers the war in Ukraine a “very difficult and complex problem,” the resolution of which requires agreement not only on a cessation of hostilities but also on mechanisms capable of ensuring a sustainable peace.
“President Trump actually wanted us to convey that he considers this a very complex and multifaceted problem. But this problem must be addressed not only in terms of how we end this war, but also in terms of how we create the right conditions and changes for long-term peace that will allow Ukraine to realize its enormous potential,” Kushner said.
Donald Trump wants, above all, not just a cessation of hostilities, but an outcome that will have long-term consequences for Ukraine. The U.S. president also hopes to see a country that, after the war, will be able to use its own resources and potential for further development.
“President Trump would very much like to see that. Many politicians are afraid of complex problems, but President Trump always says: if a problem is complex enough, you have to give it everything you’ve got and do everything possible to solve it,” — the U.S. special envoy noted.
Separately, Kushner spoke about the U.S. side’s main goal regarding ending the war. In fact, Trump wants the fighting to stop for the sake of Ukrainian families and children, and for future agreements to lay the foundation for stability.
“He is very determined to see an end to this war, to see an end to the suffering, to see the war come to an end for families and children. We hope to do what he believes is best by focusing on investment and business opportunities for the countries so that they can grow closer to one another,” Kushner said.
At the same time, the economic component should also help bring Ukraine closer to European nations and create new opportunities for people on both sides of the border.
“We hope this will preserve freedom and opportunities for people in Ukraine and for people in Europe. We want investment opportunities and business to help countries grow closer to one another,” the U.S. special representative stated.
Kushner also highlighted the work of European partners and noted ongoing contact among participants in the negotiation process. After all, the American team, together with Steve Whitcoff, worked with partners “every step of the way.”
“They were very close collaborators. Steve and I worked with them at every stage. And there really was a good consensus. We hope that new approaches will emerge along the way to help move this process forward,” Kushner said.
Negotiations to end the war and reach appropriate agreements continue even when no face-to-face meetings are taking place.
“Even when we’re not holding these meetings, there’s a lot of negotiation going on. We communicate with representatives of the parties almost daily. Therefore, we are constantly in contact and hope to find a way to advance this process,” Kushner noted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s reaction to the special envoys’ visit
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the American delegation for their visit to Kyiv and their participation in the negotiations. He specifically praised the work of the Ukrainian and American teams.
“I want to thank our teams, the American teams, and Jared Kushner for being here in Ukraine. We are very grateful for this and thank the United States of America for its support,” Zelenskyy said.
The president also expressed his gratitude to Donald Trump for making it possible to hold talks in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of the parties’ continued cooperation.
“I want to thank President Trump for making it possible for the American delegation to be here in Ukraine today. We’ve already had two meetings to discuss these issues, and we’ll continue our work,” the head of state noted.
Peace Package
U.S. Presidential Special Envoy Jared Kushner stated that, together with President Donald Trump and Steve, he is working on creating a “peace package.” According to him, the U.S. side’s goal is to create the conditions for ending the war and ensuring the continued peaceful coexistence of the countries.
Kushner emphasized that Trump seeks to lay the groundwork that would contribute to establishing peace. At the same time, he said, the U.S. president wants to achieve a situation in which hostilities between the countries cease and the parties can focus on realizing their potential and engaging in mutually beneficial cooperation.
“The task that President Trump, Steve, and I are working on is to create a ‘peace package,’” Kushner said.
He also noted that a team of U.S. government officials is working to find ways to end the war. According to him, the U.S. president, vice president, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other officials are involved in this process.
Kushner thanked President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his hospitality and the Ukrainian people for their warm welcome during the trip. He added that Donald Trump had conveyed his “warmest greetings and respect” to Ukraine and is closely monitoring the situation, making significant efforts to find a way to end the war.
Winter Support
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is counting on a winter aid package from international partners if the war continues into the winter. According to him, Kyiv is primarily expecting a strengthening of its air defense, support for the energy sector, and shipments of American liquefied natural gas.
Zelenskyy noted that he had discussed the future package in detail with Steve, Jared, and European partners. The president emphasized that Ukraine is counting on a significant amount of necessary resources.
“If the war continues into the winter, we are really counting on the winter aid package, which I discussed in detail today with Steve, Jared, and our European partners. We are also counting on air defense, energy support, and American LNG. Our partners support this,” Zelenskyy said.
According to him, Ukraine is counting on a significant amount of support, and international partners back these measures.
Three rounds of talks, strengthened air defense, and Russia’s new tactics
Following the meetings, Zelenskyy reported that, in total, three rounds of substantive talks had taken place with the American delegation. European partners joined the third round, and Ukraine, the U.S., and European nations plan to continue joint consultations in the near future.
The President emphasized the importance of resuming the negotiation process following the U.S. delegation’s meeting with Russian leadership. According to him, Kyiv is interested in continuing to hold trilateral meetings to understand what steps Russia is prepared to take.
“We may prefer certain formats of negotiations, but it’s worse when there are no formats at all. I want to highlight here the role of Steve and Jared, who resumed the negotiation process today,” Zelenskyy said.
Separately, the head of state spoke about security and economic guarantees for Ukraine. According to him, once the war ends, the country must have the opportunity to rebuild and develop, and a strong Ukrainian army will remain a key security guarantee.
“Our army, which must be strong, is our primary security guarantee. These guarantees must be strong and clear. We must not fear any future challenges,” the president emphasized.
Zelenskyy also stated that the territorial issue remains complex. He noted that such issues can only be resolved at the level of heads of state.
The president also announced plans to strengthen Ukraine’s missile defense capabilities, which he called one of the country’s weaknesses. According to him, Kyiv will work on developing its own ballistic missile defense system and will discuss related issues with partners in Norway and Canada.
At the same time, according to Zelenskyy, the U.S. will increase production of interceptor missiles for the Patriot system next year. This should help further strengthen Ukraine’s air defense.
Zelenskyy stated that Russia has significantly intensified its airstrikes on Ukraine in recent days. According to him, Vladimir Putin is doing this ahead of the elections in Russia and is employing a new tactic, attacking Ukrainians “from morning till night.”
“Putin is doing this ahead of his elections. This is a new tactic, and we will respond in kind until the terror ends and the Russian war ends,” the president said.
At the same time, Ukraine is building up its capabilities to counter new types of Russian drones. Zelenskyy reported that about 60 Ukrainian companies are working on systems for the mass interception of jet-powered drones.
According to him, Kyiv plans to ramp up production of such systems. The president called this “Plan B,” while “Plan A” remains accelerating the diplomatic process to de-escalate the conflict.
Speaking about the situation on the front lines, Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine has strengthened its positions in the east, where Russian troops have increased their presence. He suggested that after the elections in Russia, a mobilization could take place, specifically for this front.
“Without a strong position on the battlefield—a strong Ukrainian position—there will only be ultimatums. But as it stands today, diplomacy is possible,” the head of state emphasized.
Separately, Zelenskyy explained the significance of the Donbas for the negotiation process. According to him, this issue cannot be viewed merely as a territorial dispute, since it is directly linked to the war—a struggle of attrition and survival.
“The issue of Donbas is not just an issue for Donbas. Between us, I believe it is an issue of this war,” the president stated.
He also called the Donbas “Ukraine’s outpost” and highlighted its broader geopolitical significance. According to him, it is precisely the strong position of the Ukrainian military in this area that gives Kyiv the opportunity to conduct diplomatic negotiations.