ZAP // / Depositphotos; Institute for the Study of War
Vladimir Putin wants full control of Donetsk. The Russian president’s demand puts Ukraine at a clear disadvantage and could hamper the negotiation process for a Peace Agreement. For the Ukrainians, “it is like selling them their own leg in exchange for nothing”.
The Russian President, Vladimir Putinhe demanded this week, during a telephone call with the US president Donald Trumpfor Kiev to cede the full control of Donetska region of strategic importance in eastern Ukraine, as a condition for ending the war.
The information was conveyed anonymously, due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, which took place behind closed doors, by two senior officials familiar with the content of the conversation, cited by .
Putin is for 11 years trying, unsuccessfully, to conquer the territorytendi been repeatedly repelled by Ukrainian forcesdeeply entrenched in an area that they consider essential to stop a rapid Russian advance towards the capital.
Putin’s focus on Donetsk suggests that the Russian leader does not back down from demands that have kept the conflict at an impasse, despite Trump’s optimism about the possibility of reaching an agreement, the sources said,
Since 2014, to Russia and Moscow-backed separatist forces claim parts of the region, but never managed to conquer it completely.
Trump has not publicly commented on Putin’s demand for the handover of all of Donetsk, which until now it has not been revealed. In the statement made Friday, after a , Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump did not support the Russian request.
The American President plans to meet Putinin the coming weeks, in Hungary, to continue talks on ending the conflict.
“It’s time to put an end to the killings and make a DEAL! Enough blood has been spilled, with borders defined by war and courage. Let them stop where they are. May they both claim victory and let History decide!”, Trump on social media after the meeting with Zelensky.
In the call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader suggested he was willing to give up parts of two other regions partially occupied Ukrainian — Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — in exchange for full control of Donetsk, those responsible said.
This position is a slightly less comprehensive territorial requirement than during the Anchorage summit between Trump and Putin. Some White House officials saw this as a sign of progress, according to one of the sources briefed on the conversation.
Ukrainians, however, It’s unlikely you’ll see him that waysaid a senior European diplomat. “It’s like selling them your own leg for nothing”, he commented.
As front lines between Russian and Ukrainian forces remained practically stagnant in the last year of conflict, without significant gains on either side. Russia controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory. Moscow launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Trump refocused on the goal of put an end to the war after having reached a ceasefire and an agreement to exchange hostages and prisoners in Gaza. The President has been wavering between the Russian and Ukrainian perspectives on the conflict for months.
The Ukrainians hoped to obtain from Donald Trump, at Friday’s meeting, access to , but ended up not obtaining this weapon.
