U.S. demands Ukraine withdraw forces from Donbas, offers no concessions

The source pointed to recent U.S. actions, including restricting intelligence sharing and slowing Starlink speeds, as clear evidence of “arm-twisting.”

“The Americans are saying: withdraw from Donbas, without offering anything in return,” the source said. “They do not understand that the Russians will then demand that we give up Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.”

The source added that Donald Trump plans to resolve his domestic political problems through foreign policy, at the expense of the weaker side – Ukraine.

Some media outlets expect this pressure to ease after the November 3 election, once the White House no longer faces an election deadline. However, Ukrainian officials are skeptical that Ukraine and Russia can reach a lasting ceasefire, even a partial one, before the vote or even by spring.

RBC-Ukraine’s source added that they see no realistic prospects for a ceasefire.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine will not withdraw its troops from the Donbas. It would take Russian forces at least two more years to fully seize Donetsk Oblast, a campaign that would cost them approximately 800,000 soldiers, Zelenskyy stated.

“I want to be clear: I will never abandon Donbas and the 200,000 Ukrainians who live there,” the president said. “Why should I? Because [Russian dictator Vladimir] Putin makes it a condition for peace? And will he immediately put forward new demands after that? No, I will not tolerate that.”