Photo from UNIAN

A rally is being held outside the Presidential Office on Bankova Street in Kyiv, where citizens demand that the head of state, Volodymyr Zelensky, prevent the retreat of Ukrainian troops in Donbas.

According to an UNIAN correspondent, the activists erected a large banner saying "Movement of Resistance to Capitulation. Peace After Victory."

Protesters emphasize that the surrender of Ukrainian land must not be allowed. They speak up against disengagement of forces from the line of contact in Petrivske and Zolote.

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Among participants in the rally are residents of the frontline zone, internally displaced persons, and war veterans.

"Today we came to demand from the guarantor of the Constitution not to allow disengagement, which in fact is the retreat of Ukrainian troops from Zolote, Petrivske, and other settlements, where our troops are planned to be withdrawn according to Putin's plan," the organizers say.

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They emphasize that they demand the withdrawal of Russian troops from the occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Protesters raise concerns that, once Ukrainian troops disengage, the areas will be occupied by Russian invaders.

Activists advocate that Zelensky’s stance in international negotiations take into account a number of key points. In particular, this includes a demand that Russia, as an aggressor state, compensate for all the consequences of war and occupation; Donbas and Crimea must return to Ukraine only together and without any "special status"; while Ukraine's refusal from the idea of joining NATO and the EU must not be a precondition for peace.

The rally is peaceful. No incidents have been reported.