Zelenskyy: Any decision to withdraw of troops from Pokrovsk is matter for military commanders

11:58, 13.11.2025 1 min read

The situation in Pokrovsk is very complex, any decision to withdraw troops from the city is for military commanders to make on the ground, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"Nobody is forcing them to die for the sake of ruins. I will support our soldiers, especially the commanders who are there, in how they can control the situation. Otherwise, it will be too expensive for us - the most important thing for us is our soldiers," he said in an interview with Bloomberg.

The president noted that Russia seeks victory in Pokrovsk to convince US President Donald Trump that Ukraine must withdraw its troops from the entire Donbas in order to end the war.

"We cannot leave eastern Ukraine. Nobody will understand this, people will not understand this. And most importantly, no one guarantees you that if they capture this or that city, they will not move further. There is no deterrent," the president said.