What does Zelenskyy say Russia is demanding in eastern Ukraine?

Zelenskyy said Russia wants Ukraine to give up the rest of the east, including Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka, which would open a path toward the Dnipropetrovsk region, Kryvyi Rih and Nikopol, the industrial core of the economy. He puts occupied territory at roughly 19% of Ukraine and warned that handing over these heavily fortified cities, with no security guarantees, would let Putin push much further.

• Zelenskyy said Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Mykolaiv remain Russian targets that Moscow does not name openly.
• Ukraine is open to security guarantees, including NATO, Zelenskyy said.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett (2026-10-22). Read the whole episode summary →

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