Russia threatens to withdraw from talks if not given all of Donbas
According to information from Bloomberg agency, citing sources close to the Kremlin, Russia is considering withdrawing from peace talks mediated by the US if Ukraine does not agree to territorial concessions, including regarding the unoccupied part of the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian military in Donbas. Photo: Narciso Contreras/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Bloomberg's interlocutors claim that the next meeting of the parties could be decisive: if Kyiv refuses a compromise, Moscow may cease participation in the process.
It is reported that Russia is ready to sign a peace memorandum provided that Ukrainian troops are withdrawn from the Donetsk region. After this, a summit involving the leaders of Russia, the USA, and Ukraine may be held to approve the agreement and mutual troop withdrawal.
Ukraine, as is known, does not agree to recognize territorial losses and considers the part of Donetsk region it controls important for defense. Kyiv proposes a ceasefire along the current front line and the return of territories exclusively through diplomatic means with security guarantees from the USA and the EU.
As for Russia itself, according to Bloomberg sources, it is allegedly ready to withdraw troops from the small parts of Sumy, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions that it currently occupies, abandon claims to territories in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions that remain under Ukraine's control, agree to a US-led ceasefire monitoring, and drop demands to reduce the size of the Ukrainian army. However, Moscow will not agree to the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory.
Separately, the future of the Zaporizhzhia NPP is being discussed: various options for joint management involving the USA, Russia, and Ukraine are proposed. Negotiations in Abu Dhabi and Geneva, according to sources, reached a deadlock precisely due to the territorial issue, although agreements on other points have largely been reached.
It was previously reported about the planning of trilateral negotiations in the UAE in early March, but their venue may change due to new international circumstances.
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