President Vladimir Putin has made it clear: Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the Donbas region, or Russia will take full control. He stated, “We will either liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave.” Currently, Moscow claims to control about 85% of this area.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected any idea of giving up land. His stance is straightforward—territory cannot be compromised.
Putin’s comments follow discussions involving former U.S. President Donald Trump, who mentioned that his negotiators believe Putin is open to ending the conflict. Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to meet with the Ukrainian team in Florida.
During talks in Moscow, Trump described the discussions as “reasonably good.” However, he noted that it’s too early to determine the outcome, saying, “It does take two to tango.” The U.S. had a peace plan that included handing over parts of Donbas still held by Ukraine to Russian control, but the proposal has since been modified.
Putin admitted he hadn’t seen the latest version of the U.S. plan before his talks with U.S. officials. He emphasized that many points were debated, which contributed to the lengthy discussions. He mentioned there are areas of the plan where Russia disagrees.
Yuri Ushakov, a senior Russian diplomat, stated that the negotiations showed “no compromise” on ending the war. He suggested that Russia feels emboldened by recent successes in the conflict. Meanwhile, Ukraine accuses Russia of stalling any ceasefire attempts, claiming Moscow’s goal is to capture more territory.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybhia criticized the Kremlin’s efforts, calling them a waste of time. Zelensky echoed this, insisting that any negotiations must be supported by consistent pressure on Russia. He has also indicated that the negotiations need to secure strong guarantees for Ukraine’s safety.
In a recent statement, Zelensky mentioned there seems to be a real chance to end the war, but he stressed the need for backup pressure from international allies. He revealed that his negotiators have made key adjustments to the original U.S. peace proposal, which many viewed as favoring Russia.
A joint statement from U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators confirmed that they had developed a “refined peace framework,” though details remain sparse. European leaders have expressed concerns about the negotiations as well. French President Emmanuel Macron supposedly warned about the potential for the U.S. to compromise Ukraine’s territory without clear security guarantees.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has cautioned Zelensky to proceed with extreme care, suggesting that the negotiation dynamics are complex and potentially deceptive. Finnish President Alexander Stubb reflected on the importance of not leaving Ukraine isolated in these discussions.
The ongoing situation traces back to February 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Currently, around 20% of Ukrainian territory is under Russian control. In recent weeks, Russian forces have made slow advances despite suffering significant losses.
As the situation develops, the international community is closely monitoring the talks and any changes that arise from the discussions. Understanding these dynamics is crucial, not only for the parties involved but for global peace and security.
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