President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has responded to reports that Ukrainian negotiators floated the name "Donnyland" for part of the Donbas during discussions with the United States, saying the priority is preventing the region from becoming "Putinland," RBC-Ukraine reports.
Speaking to journalists, Zelenskyy said he does not use any such terminology in his own talks. "During my negotiations, there are no terms other than Donetsk oblast, Luhansk oblast, our Donbas, territory of Ukraine. There are no other terms. Accordingly, there are documents in which all of this is specified," he said.
The president added that he could not comment on "any dialogues of various character between sides" concerning alternative names for the region.
For Zelenskyy, the substance matters more than the label. "In my view, the main thing is that Donetsk oblast, Luhansk oblast remain Ukrainian land, and that is how it is. And that there be no 'Putinland.' That, it seems to me, is the most important thing," he said.
What preceded the statement
The New York Times reported that Ukrainian negotiators, during discussions on the situation in Donbas, proposed the conditional name "Donnyland" for part of the territory. According to the outlet, the term combines the name of the region with the first name of the American president and was used as an informal attempt to strengthen Kyiv's position in dialogue with Washington.
Sources cited by the NYT said the "Donnyland" idea was considered a way to draw the attention of the US administration and increase its involvement in the settlement process.
Negotiations and Donbas
Ukraine has held several rounds of talks with Russia and the United States in 2026. The sides have not reached agreement on a ceasefire, as Russia is demanding the surrender of the unoccupied part of Donbas, which Kyiv rejects.
Zelenskyy has ruled out any exchange of Donbas territory for other regions, stating that Russia understands it will be able to hold border territories and that a moment will come when the Ukrainian Armed Forces push the occupiers out.
The president has also said that a Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts would amount to a strategic defeat for the Armed Forces, which would become weaker through the loss of fortifications and a defensive line.
