Zelensky says Putin won't stop at Donbas, will seek Odesa, Dnipro and Kharkiv

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is convinced that Russia would not stop its military campaign if it managed to seize the Donbas region, warning that Moscow would go on to pursue Odesa, Dnipro and Kharkiv.

Zelensky's comments reflect his continued argument that ceding territory to Russia would not bring an end to the war, but instead embolden further advances into other parts of Ukraine.

The remarks come as diplomatic discussions about the war's trajectory continue among Ukraine's international partners, with debates ongoing over what any negotiated settlement might involve, including questions of territorial control in the eastern part of the country.

Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine's security, and that of the wider region, depends on resisting demands that would cede additional territory to Russian control.

His comments add to a broader set of statements he has made this week during high-level diplomatic engagements tied to discussions in New York regarding the ongoing conflict.