Zelenskyy says seizing all of Donbas will "cost" Russia 800,000 dead

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the complete seizure of Donbas would cost Russia hundreds of thousands of casualties and that the occupiers "will not last that long." The head of state said this in an interview with France 2 TV channel, le Monde newspaper reports.

One of Moscow's main demands is the withdrawal of the Defense Forces from the part of Ukraine's Donetsk region that the occupiers failed to occupy. At the same time, Kyiv refuses to leave these territories, where its defense positions are located.

"Russia wants us to leave the entire Donbas. They have not won a single victory since the beginning of this war. And we, Ukrainians, are well aware of the price the Russian army pays for every meter, every kilometer of this land. They do not count the people who die," Zelenskyy said.

According to him, the seizure of the Ukrainian east will "cost" the Russians another 800,000 casualties: "They can't take it much longer."

ADDED. In the same excerpt from the interview, which published the Clash Report, Zelenskyy says that Russia will need at least two years to occupy this territory.

The president also considers the freezing of the war and the fact that Ukraine will maintain its positions "a huge concession" from Kyiv.

"Russians need a break. If we are talking about demilitarized zone, we must have control over our part," the head of state said.

• On February 4 marked the first day of a new round of talks between Ukraine, Russia, and the United States in Abu Dhabi. As a result, Zelenskyy announced conducting a new exchange of prisoners of war.
• Head of the delegation and NSDC secretary Umerov reported that during the negotiations "the work was meaningful and productive, with a focus on concrete steps and practical solutions," but did not disclose any details.
• The talks are to continue the next day.