Russia renews Donbas ultimatum as U.S.-backed peace push hits Kremlin wall

Ushakov renewed Moscow’s ultimatum to Ukraine, demanding that Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donbas.

He said that until Ukraine “takes this step, several more rounds [of talks] can be held, dozens of rounds, but we will remain in the same place.”

Ushakov also said U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will come to Moscow “quite soon” and that talks with them will continue.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on April 1 that the Kremlin was demanding that Kyiv quickly decide to withdraw Ukrainian troops from Donbas.

On April 3, Peskov repeated the Kremlin’s demand that Ukraine withdraw its forces and made clear that Russia does not intend to end its war against Ukraine, saying Moscow would “continue the ‘special military operation’ until all stated goals are achieved.”

Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said on May 7 that trilateral talks involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia were “inappropriate” until Kyiv withdraws Ukrainian troops from the part of Donbas it controls.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said Moscow continues to demand the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the unoccupied part of Donbas as a condition for a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine. At the same time, Russian forces on the front line in spring 2026 have shown weaker results than in 2025, when the Kremlin began heavily pushing the ultimatum.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stressed that Ukraine’s position on territorial issues has not changed. Kyiv will not agree to hand over Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to Russia. In an interview with Corriere della Sera published on March 3, Zelenskyy said Ukraine would not abandon Donbas and its 200,000 residents, because a retreat would open the way for Russia to push deeper into central Ukraine and would not stop the Kremlin from making new demands.