Let’s not make a deal: Why Putin’s demand to hand over Donbas is doomed to fail
theins.ru
Following last Friday’s talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Donald Trump announced that one “big issue” remained unresolved — and all signs suggest it is what the Kremlin likes to call a “territorial exchange,” which in practice would mean handing over to Russia the areas of the Donetsk region that Moscow’s forces still do not occupy. Both Volodymyr Zelensky and the majority of Ukrainians are firmly opposed to giving up any land without a fight, and capturing the “fortress cities” of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk is far beyond the reach of the Russian military anytime in the near future. After the strong show of support that European leaders gave Zelensky during his trip to Washington three days after the Alaska summit, Putin’s demands appear more unrealistic than ever.

Archived

Following last Friday’s talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Donald Trump announced that one “big issue” remained unresolved — and all signs suggest it is what the Kremlin likes to call a “territorial exchange,” which in practice would mean handing over to Russia the areas of the Donetsk region that Moscow’s forces still do not occupy. Both Volodymyr Zelensky and the majority of Ukrainians are firmly opposed to giving up any land without a fight, and capturing the “fortress cities” of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk is far beyond the reach of the Russian military anytime in the near future. After the strong show of support that European leaders gave Zelensky during his trip to Washington three days after the Alaska summit, Putin’s demands appear more unrealistic than ever.