Posted on 08/17/2025 10:23:22 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
The traditionally Russian-speaking area is at the heart of what the Russian president calls the “root causes” of the war, and taking it over is near the top of his list of territorial and political demands.
The proposal to end the war in Ukraine that emerged from the summit in Alaska between President Trump and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia centers on persuading Kyiv to give up the Donbas, the industrial region in the east.
The traditionally Russian-speaking area has been at the heart of what Mr. Putin calls the “root causes” of the war, and taking it over is near the top of his list of territorial and political demands.
Mr. Putin has tried to control the Donbas since embarking on his campaign to control Ukraine in 2014, first through separatist proxies and then by invading and annexing the region in 2022. Since the full-scale invasion, the Donbas has been the site of the war’s deadliest battles, and is the main focus of Russia’s summer offensive.
The Kremlin’s forces and its separatist allies have conquered about 87 percent of the Donbas since 2014, according to data from DeepState, a Ukrainian group that tracks battlefield developments. Russian forces are now chipping away at the 2,600 square miles of the region that remain in Ukrainian hands with very heavy losses. Without a cease-fire, the battle for the Donbas is almost certain to stretch into next year and cost tens of thousands of lives, military analysts say.
The region’s fate could shape the outcome of the war.
The substance of a peace deal discussed by Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin in Alaska on Friday remains murky. The few known details come from the...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Since Russia already controls most of the Donbas Zelensky should agree to cede control over it - if that would be sufficient for Putin to agree to end the war. It’s not even much of a concession at this point.
If Russia will have all of it before long anyway, at that point Zelensky would have lost that as a bargaining chip and might have to agree to give up something else to get a peace deal.
IOW Zelensky would be stupid not to agree to give Russia the Donbas - if that is enough for Putin. I’m not certain that it is enough though.
Hitler demanded German speaking areas.
This ain’t about territory.
It is about power.
ANY agreement no matter what the terms AFFECT Zelensky’s hold on power.
He has put his self-interest before national interest time and again.
He is a war time leader, without a war, he can not make a case for staying power.
I hereby invoke Godwin's Law to officially end the thread.
Any time NY Times says “here’s why” I assume that’s not why.
“ Since Russia already controls most of the Donbas Zelensky should agree to cede control over it ”
In return Russia cedes the following to the US.
Chukotka Autonomous Okrug
Jewish Autonomous Oblast
Kamchatka Krai
Khabarovsk Krai
Magadan Oblast
Primorsky Krai
Sakhalin Oblast
Ok Ivan.
It is accurate.
And, it is the same argument Putin used for invasion, and pretty much the same argument used by the Hispanic marxists for California, and the Chinese for everything they want.
“Mr. Putin has tried to control the Donbas since embarking on his campaign to control Ukraine in 2014, first through separatist proxies and then by invading and annexing the region in 2022. “
The author for some baffling reason skips over the years of Russia participating in the Minsk Accords ….which Angela Merkel later revealed to be a ruse to lull the Russians while building the Ukrainian military for a large offensive and domination of any resistance to the 2014 coup.
......”Zelensky would be stupid not to agree to give Russia the Donbas”
Zelensky IS stupid. And evil, now grabbing young teenaged boys off the streets and shoving them into uniform because so very many adult UKE soldiers have died.
Article written by three Russians demanding that all of the Donbas be given to Russia. Kind of like Massachusetts demanding that the SEC give them all of their best football players.
I second it.
...after the players all moved to Massachusetts.
Putin is Hitler! - zeepers
Or “Why It Matters”, that’s when I stop reading.
Why does Putin continue to kill Russian and Ukrainian Christians by continuing Kremlin’s terrorist attack on sovereign Ukraine? Russia attacked and invaded Ukraine twice: in 2014 and 2022 - WITHOUT a war DECLARATION. Thus it’s a terrorist attack - twice.
Why is Russia hitting all religious sites in Ukraine, churches, schools, hospitals?
Why are you opposing Law and Order ?
Why are you opposing Peace Though Strength?
Why don’t you want sovereign nations to defend their borders?
Republicans want border respected usually, right? But you don’t think borders and sovereignty is important? Why?
Why don’t you acknowledge the aggressor (Putin)?
And why put all the blame on the victim (Ukraine) while giving a pass on the invading Russian forces ?
If a woman is beaten up by a gang of illegal thugs who illegally crossed from Mexico into Texas... do you think it’s her fault? Or is the gang’s fault?
Put the blame on the aggressor, not the victim of the aggression. Let’s combat crime. We are not liberals, so let’s not fuel and condone crime.
The self-defeating Chamberlain mentality pushed by non-conservatives in America must stop.
Since Russia already controls most of the Donbas Zelensky should agree to cede control over it - if that would be sufficient for Putin to agree to end the war. It’s not even much of a concession at this point.
—
Except that part is a major fortification that Moscovia has not been able to breach for 3.5 years. Even more going back to 2014.
Once breached or given away, there is only flat indefensible plain for many many kilometers, leaving the rest of the eastern front to be roiled up at will by the Russians.
Look at it this way - 47 and Putin want Ukraine to give more land to the Russians, while some small bits of Ukraine stolen by the Russia, Putin might be willing to give back.
This is very close to the same scenario used in 1932 with the Sudetenland give away. Russia lives exists, for war and conquest - advancement and the acquisition of power are only achieved historically and culturally by that means in Russia. Russia has never honored any agreement treaty it has ever signed - but everyone thinks this time is different because 47. But even if that were true, 47 will be gone in 3.5 years, then what?
So you would be willing to trade the people and the country for real estate transaction? To prove to the world that conquest, invasion, torture, rape murder, kidnapping children pays? Back in the day, people used to trade and sell other people for money, is this different?
You do realize that Russia is putting itself on a permanent war footing? Because as their media keeps saying, after Ukraine the Baltics and any other country that was pat of the USSR [ which they consider still existing ].
Its about power for Russia which lives for conquest, its about land which was part of the USSR being returned by force, by invasion.
Putin is a bloody KGB thug become dictator, who has sanctioned many, many Russians to death, as well as hundreds of thousands in other countries which Russia has invaded at his direction. You trust and admire this man
Zelenski is a comedian whose party was elected to lead the Ukraine Parliament, and as party leader became President. You hate and despise this man.
What does that say about you?
Guardian [December 16, 2021]
“With tensions escalating along the border with Russia, Luke Harding visits troops in Ukraine’s Donbas region to gauge the mood ahead of a possible invasion. The war here has continued since 2014, when pro-Russian separatists seized Ukrainian cities.”
There has been nearly continuous conflict in Ukraine since 2014, when the apparently pro-Russian president took office for a short time. He was run out of Kiev (almost certainly for good reason).
His supporters in Donetsk and Luhansk, feeling cheated, decided to form new countries there and declared independence from Ukraine.
Ukraine tried for seven years to get them back under the control of Kiev. When Ukrainian government success became likely in early 2022 due to Turkish drones, Putin began his special military operation.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.