territorial concessions Ukraine

Putin drops territorial concessions, demands all of Donetsk Oblast

The Kremlin is no longer considering returning any occupied Ukrainian territory as part of a potential peace agreement and is insisting on fully capturing Donetsk Oblast, Bloomberg reported on July 22, citing people familiar with the matter.

22 July, 01:20 PM

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

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov acknowledged that Russia’s war against Ukraine would continue even after 10 rounds of peace talks, he said in a conversation with Russian propagandist Pavel Zarubin.

10 May, 05:00 PM

Russia’s battlefield gains slow as Kremlin presses Donbas ultimatum — ISW

Moscow continues to demand that Ukrainian troops withdraw from the parts of Donbas still under Ukrainian control as a condition for a lasting ceasefire, even as Russian forces made slower gains in spring 2026 than they did in 2025, when the Kremlin began pushing the ultimatum more aggressively, the Institute for the Study of War said in a May 8 analysis.

9 May, 07:00 PM

Trump weighs sending U.S. delegation to Moscow for Ukraine war talks

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 8 that he is open to sending an American delegation to Moscow for talks on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.

9 May, 02:43 PM

Kremlin reports deadlock on territory in Ukraine talks, signals no concessions

There has been no progress on territorial issues in previous rounds of peace talks on Ukraine, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said, adding that the next meeting will take place “as soon as circumstances allow.”

26 March, 02:25 PM

Territorial issues stall Ukraine peace talks despite security progress

Progress has been made in drafting documents on security guarantees and post-war reconstruction for Ukraine, but the key territorial dispute remains unresolved, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, Sky TG24 reported on Feb. 19.

20 February, 08:21 AM

Pushing Ukraine to give up Donbas is strategic error — ISW

Pressuring Ukraine to give up parts of Donetsk Oblast in exchange for U.S. security guarantees would be a strategic mistake, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on Jan. 27.

28 January, 12:12 PM

Russia not ready for meaningful concessions in Ukraine war

The Kremlin remains committed to its original goals in the war against Ukraine, is not ready for substantial compromises, and continues to demand recognition of occupied territories along with “protection” of the Russian language and Russian Orthodox Church, according to a report by the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War published on Jan. 22.

22 January, 11:05 AM

54% of Ukrainians firmly oppose ceding Donbas for security guarantees – KIIS poll

A majority of Ukrainians — 54% — firmly reject the idea of transferring the entire Donbas region under Russian control in exchange for security guarantees from the United States and Europe, according to results from a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).

16 January, 06:37 PM

Trump floats Kyiv visit to push territorial concessions for peace deal

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would be willing to travel to Kyiv to persuade Ukraine’s parliament to approve territorial concessions to Russia as part of a potential peace deal, following his Dec. 28 meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.

29 December 2025, 09:06 AM

Trump envoys pushed Ukraine to surrender Donbas cities for peace

Russia is trying to secure Donbas at the negotiating table after failing to seize it since 2014, seeking control of a line of key defensive cities — Pokrovsk, Kostyantynivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk and Slovyansk — known as Ukraine’s “belt of fortresses,” a goal U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly willing to trade away for peace, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 12.

11 December 2025, 03:55 PM

More Ukrainians say West is tired of Ukraine's war - KIIS survey

The share of Ukrainians who believe that Europe and the U.S. are tired of Ukraine's war and will pressure Kyiv to make concessions to Russia has increased, Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) wrote on Oct. 20.

20 October 2025, 02:31 PM

Zelenskyy on National Flag Day: We will not give our land to the occupier

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainians will not surrender their land to the occupier during a speech marking Ukraine’s National Flag Day on Aug. 23. The remarks were broadcast live during the official celebration.

23 August 2025, 02:53 PM

‘In line with law and public opinion’: Ukraine says Zelenskyy ready to discuss territory with Putin

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is willing to discuss territorial issues with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin during a bilateral meeting, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Serhii Kyslytsia said in an interview with NBC News on Aug. 22.

23 August 2025, 12:27 PM

Kremlin rejects Western security guarantees, aims to control all of Ukraine - ISW

By categorically rejecting U.S.-backed Western security guarantees for Ukraine, the Kremlin is exposing its true long-standing goal of taking control of all of Ukraine, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote on Aug. 21.

22 August 2025, 11:53 AM

Trump urges Ukraine to drop Crimea and NATO ambitions ahead of Zelenskyy summit

U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine to abandon its hopes of reclaiming Crimea or joining NATO as he prepares to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders for talks aimed at pressuring Kyiv into accepting a deal with Moscow, Reuters reported on Aug. 18.

19 August 2025, 12:20 AM

Ukraine seeks peace, but not at any cost - EU Ambassador

U.S. President Donald Trump should remember that Ukraine wants to end the war and establish peace — but not at any cost, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová wrote on Facebook on Aug. 14.

15 August 2025, 09:34 AM

Spain, Poland urge Ukraine’s voice in Alaska talks

Ahead of an Aug. 11 EU foreign ministers’ meeting focused on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Spain stressed the necessity of Kyiv’s participation in all negotiations regarding the country’s future, according to Sky News.

11 August 2025, 06:30 PM

What ‘territorial swap’ could mean for Ukraine, as Trump suggested — reports

A “territorial swap” between Ukraine and the aggressor state Russia, mentioned by U.S. President Donald Trump, could potentially mean Ukraine would regain small stretches of borderland in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts while Russia demands Ukraine fully withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. CNN correspondent Nick Paton Walsh reported this on Aug. 9.

10 August 2025, 09:55 AM

Over 40% of Ukrainians open to recognizing Russia’s de facto control over occupied lands

43% of Ukrainians are open to discussing de facto recognition of Russia’s control over occupied territories, though 68% oppose official recognition, a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) survey presented on June 10 found.

10 June 2025, 12:50 PM

territorial concessions Ukraine

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