Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine is "not going to withdraw" and asks what Putin could call a victory

During a nationwide broadcast on Aug. 8, Ukraine’s president said Russia’s leader was preparing a major mobilization without announcing it and intended to station tens of thousands of North Korean troops on Russian territory. Volodymyr Zelensky argued that Vladimir Putin needs a credible success, especially in Donbas, to show his public, but he ruled out any Ukrainian withdrawal and questioned what Putin could then call a victory. Zelensky also pointed to discussions with the American side, reportedly about territorial arrangements and Donbas’s status, and said Russia would host 30,000–50,000 North Korean soldiers to learn modern combat methods and receive Russian military support. He said Kyiv was seeking air-defense cooperation with South Korea.