OREANDA-NEWS. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Donbass "will never be Russian territory," and to those who love the Russian Federation and want the region to join it, he suggested "looking for a place in Russia."

"Residents of the occupied Donbass and Crimea must understand exactly. This is not about someone driving someone out somewhere. I just want me to be understood. I believe that if you live today in the temporarily occupied Donbass and you think that "our cause is right - we are in Russia, we are Russians" - this is a big mistake to stay in Donbass. It will never be Russian territory ... It's like there was a wall in Germany. In any case, people, history will take advantage of the moment and the wall will collapse. If they do not agree on the settlement of the conflict, people will still take advantage of the moment, "Zelensky said in an interview with the Dom TV channel, part of which was published on the TV channel's Telegram.

The Ukrainian leader appealed to the residents of Donbass and advised those who consider themselves Ukrainians not to leave this territory.

“I believe that if you love Russia, you think that you have stayed on the territory of Ukraine all your life, but felt that this is Russia ... this person must understand that in the name of his children and grandchildren, he has to go and look for a place in Russia. Because without Ukraine there will be no civilization on this territory.Ukraine will grow up, it will build everything, unambiguously. Donbass in the form - in the occupied, in the cut off - will never grow. But if you feel that Donbass is Ukraine and it is Ukrainian, if you respect this flag, respect the Ukrainian language, if you feel that you are Ukrainian - be there, hold on. This land will still be deoccupied in any case, "Zelensky said.