According to the Washington Post, during a recent phone conversation with Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward a new demand: as a condition for ending the war in Ukraine, he proposed Russian control over the entire Donetsk region. In return, Putin reportedly expressed willingness to withdraw from the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions if Ukraine agreed to withdraw its troops from Donetsk.
It should be recalled that reaching the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk was a primary goal for the Kremlin as early as February 2022. However, such proposals by Putin lack both political and military logic. If accurate, experts believe this could be an attempt to destabilize Ukrainian society, provoke internal debate, and create division regarding possible territorial concessions.
Portnikov notes that Trump is unlikely to support Putin's approach, continuing instead to advocate for ceasing hostilities along current front lines and pursuing peace talks. Nevertheless, experts warn that even if a ceasefire is achieved, a true peace between Ukraine and Russia may not occur for decades due to Russia's ongoing territorial claims.
This new information about Putin's territorial swap proposal further confirms the influential role not only of the Russian military but also of its security services in destabilizing Ukraine. Analysts urge vigilance against potential provocations by the aggressor state.
