Posted on 08/19/2025 2:29:06 PM PDT by marcusmaximus
Ukraine’s most heavily fortified region has become the center-point for peace talks to end the war with Russian leader Vladimir Putin reportedly demanding that Kyiv cede the entire territory to Moscow.
But the Donestk oblast — which is smaller than Massachusetts and home to about 4 million people — has been at the center of some of the most brutal fighting of the war, and the Kremlin has not been able to take the entire region after more than three and a half years.
A source familiar with Friday’s meeting between Putin and President Trump described negotiations over the fate of Donetsk as “the ball game.”
“Every issue is an ancillary issue, except Donetsk,” the source previously told The Post.
-snip-
Despite its advancements in the frontlines, Russia has found it increasingly difficult to take all of Donetsk, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserting that his forces still hold the strategic cities of Sloviansk and Kramators, which have served as a “fortress belt” guarding against Moscow’s fighters.
-snip-
Putin reportedly told Trump his forces could conquer Donetsk by October if Ukraine didn’t give up the land as part of a peace deal — but Kyiv and US observers point out that the Kremlin has failed to take it for more than a decade.
“Even if we’re being generous to the Russians and say they can maintain their current advance, which we know they can’t keep up and have been pushed back from… It would take about 475 days for Russia to take the entirety of Donetsk, that’s December 2026,” Barros said.
One American veteran serving in the Ukrainian Armed Services scoffed, “Donetsk by October? They’ve been saying that since February of ‘22.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Well, Sevastopol was theirs since before Texas was a state, so there is that.
They built massive fortifications since 2014, hmmmm, think about that. They were pre- meditated….been preparing for war with Russia for at least eight years….compliments of Nuland, McCain and our Neo/cons.
A small sea with limited access to even the Med, constrained by the Dardanelles, is really only worthwhile in peacetime. Worth having, but not all that serious, militarily.
The Russians will never be a serious seafaring people. They are a continental power.
Has Nuland’s clearance been pulled? I have not kept up at that level of detail.
Ukraine crisis: Donetsk ‘declares independence from Kiev’ and sets date for referendum on joining Russia
Monday 07 April 2014
A small sea with limited access to even the Med, constrained by the Dardanelles, is really only worthwhile in peacetime. Worth having, but not all that serious, militarily.
Somebody needed to point that out to Churchill in 1915.
That’s true - maybe the Russian navy should only operate on frozen seas.
Would solve their sinking problem
Churchill also saw Italy as the soft underbelly of the Axis. While this might have been true, strategically, from a tactical standpoint it was up there with the Sigfried Line / WestWall. Mountainous spine, lots of E-W rivers to the sea, excellent defensive terrain.
While I am generally a Churchill fan, he didn’t *always* get it, and this is a great example thus.
Churchill also saw Italy as the soft underbelly of the Axis
It turned into a ‘tough old gut’.
If they hadn’t invaded Italy though, D-Day would have been a much tougher nut to crack than it turned out.
Fortunately Eisenhower et al ultimately redirected a large part of the forces available in the Med to Operation Dragoon.
recently: 
Snails move about as fast.
The Donetsk "Fortress belt" is what is holding off Russia from advancing into all of Eastern Ukraine. That falls, and it opens up Kharkiv to Odessa to Russian forces. Putin wants this area badly, because it's occupation will allow Russia to restart from an advantageous position, the next time Putin or his replacement thinks the West is showing weakness.
So no, this is not going to happen. Trump is not going to demand of Ukraine what he knows will get Zelensky and Europe to walk away.
More likely, Trump told Putin to end the war now, or Trump will increase secondary sanctions on Russia, more weapons to Ukraine, and wait until the Russian banks start failing.
According to the 2001 census, the population of Donetsk was 80% ethnic Ukrainian and only 17% ethnic Russian.
You have and continue to do nothing but lie about this war and our role in causing it.
Anyone that is truly MAGA wants us out of all involvement with it.
You're a cancer to the conservative movement.
“They built massive fortifications since 2014, hmmmm, think about that. They were pre- meditated….been preparing for war with Russia for at least eight years”
They knew the evil Putin would attack them.
Just like France knew Germany would attack them.
You have posted more lies on this forum than everyone else combined. A pretty tall order.
Ronny grabbed his gun.
The Russians are busy killing the AFU by the dumpster load.
Time enough to occupy the land after all the Ukie soldiers are dead.
Felix says: "What Pokrovsk doink?"
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