Putin would have to sacrifice between 300,000 and 1 mln people to fully occupy Donbas, depending on how long the operation lasts - Zelenskyy

Vladimir Putin understands that he cannot fully occupy Ukraine because his losses are enormous and he does not have enough well-trained people on the battlefield; fully occupying Donbas would cost him between 300,000 and 1 million people, depending on the duration of the operation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"His losses are enormous and he does not have enough well-trained people on the battlefield. He is trying to find a way out of the situation that would look like a victory. That is why he is trying to push us out of Donbas diplomatically - through dialogue with the United States. Because to fully occupy Donbas he would have to sacrifice between 300,000 and 1 million people - depending on how many years they planned this operation for. That is an enormous price even for Putin," Zelenskyy said in an interview for The Rest Is Politics podcast.

The president noted that Russians know that if troops withdraw from Donbas, it will divide Ukrainians.

"Many people will be against it. If Ukraine’s unity is undermined, Putin will come up with a new ‘blitzkrieg’ to occupy Ukraine very quickly. Even if that does not happen, he will use the subsequent pause to recruit more people, train them, build up the military-industrial base and push for the lifting of sanctions," Zelenskyy stressed.

A ceasefire on the basis of holding current positions is therefore not only Ukraine’s desire but also in the interests of its partners, he said.