At talks in Abu Dhabi, Putin's representatives again demand Ukraine hand over all of Donbas
According to information from Reuters, the Russian delegation at talks with Ukraine and the US, held in Abu Dhabi (UAE), is again insisting on Russia being handed all of Donbas, including territories that Moscow has been unable to control for almost four years of war. This was reported to the agency by a source close to the Kremlin.

Vladimir Putin. Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
According to this source, the Russian side is promoting the so-called "Anchorage formula," which Moscow considers to have been agreed upon between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a summit last August.
Under this scheme, Russia is to receive all of Donbas, while on other sections of eastern and southern Ukraine, it is proposed to freeze the existing front lines. The Ukrainian side has repeatedly stated that such conditions are unacceptable to it.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that on the eve of the trilateral meeting in the UAE, he held consultations with the Ukrainian delegation and emphasized that the team understands how to act. According to him, during the conversation, the framework of the negotiations and the expected outcome were discussed. He also noted that the dialogue format might change during the meeting, and decisions will be made directly as the talks proceed, as this format is being used for the first time in a long time.
Earlier, Zelenskyy stated that the key topic of negotiations between Ukraine, the US, and Russia in Abu Dhabi would be the territorial issue, primarily the fate of Donbas. The Kremlin confirmed this. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow's position is for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to leave the territory of Donbas. Putin's aide, Yuri Ushakov, in turn, noted that without a diplomatic resolution to the territorial issue, Russia is prepared to achieve its stated goals by military means.
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