Posted on 10/19/2025 8:03:38 AM PDT by Mariner
Donald Trump’s lead negotiator has been pushing Volodymyr Zelensky to hand over the entire Donetsk region to Russia in order to end the war in Ukraine, it has emerged.
Steve Witkoff, who has met with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, five times this year, told the Ukrainian delegation visiting the White House last Friday to surrender the territory its forces control.
It is one of the key demands made by Putin, who made clear in a phone call with Mr Trump last week that he still wants Ukraine to give up the stretch of land as a precondition for peace, The Washington Post reported.
However, the surrender of Donetsk is a red line for Ukraine, which has long refused to cede the territory, which Russia has failed to capture despite fighting since 2014.
Kyiv still holds about a quarter of Donetsk province. The land makes up part of the so-called “fortress belt”, a string of heavily defended towns that blocks Russia from making rapid westward advances towards the capital.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Why reward Russia for invading Ukraine?
Nevertheless, God bless Trump for seeking an end to the massive killing and trying to find a “deal” that will work for both sides.
I mean Russia invaded the Ukraine and it seems that Putin is stubbornly unwilling to relent. But Trump cares about lives and wants to end the bloodshed. God bless him and I pray that a ceasefire will be negotiated soon and that in he future, Russia will behave itself.
It’s not about “rewarding Russia”.
Historically, the winner of a war always gets to demand terms of the loser.
Did Hitler get his demands from those he invaded?
If Trump pressures Ukraine to relinquish land from Russia's invasion then, yes, that's rewarding Russia.
But Trump, God bless him, is trying to minimize the bloodshed even if at the expense of principles.
I'm with him. May God help to end the bloodshed but with a peace that is mutually agreeable, not one that falls apart right away.
“Giving up” Donetsk (1) will make Ukraine less defensible, less secure, and (2) will INSURE there will be a new Russian invasion in time. Did giving up anything to Hitler end his many invasions? No. Rewarding Putin with Donetsk will have the same negative history.
Prof Radchenko added that while the Ukrainian leader would appeal to European leaders, their influence over Mr Trump may not be sufficient to rule out “a peace that will likely leave Ukraine truncated and exposed but also divide and humiliate Europe.”
If the US pushes it, Ukraine has no choice.
A more businesslike deal might inclue Russia’s right to purchase rare earth minerals at a negotiated price.
The big unknowns are security guarantees for Ukraine after the fighting is over.
True, no one Zelensky cares about is dying or losing money.
Rather amazing concessions based on Trump simply indicating he might push more on Ukraine's side.
Ukraine not likely to agree.
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But 47 is now back in his best bro’s good graces ... [ censored ].
With no Rare Earth Materials, NATO can’t build weapons.
Russia is not similarly cut off from the magnets. Time is on their side.
As for the upcoming summit, odds look really high NATO will attempt a shoot down of Putin’s plane enroute Hungary. If successful, a more hardliner takes over in Russia. If unsuccessful, Europe loses US support and probably additional territory to Russia. Like the Baltic states. They are near Kaliningrad. Nowhere else is worth having.
In the long term if there is a long term, Russia occupies Ukranian territory that Ukraine is unable to recover by force of arms.
However, Ukraine has made serious damage to many Russian refineries and oil transport facilities. So, It may well be in the long term that Russia is simply unable to logistically support those front line forces. They will in effect jusr wither on the vine.
The minimum Russia will accept is the entire annexed territory east of the Dnieper river.
Our daily yapping here is meaningless.
Russia and Ukraine are deciding what happens, not us, not NATO, not anyone else.
“The big unknowns are security guarantees for Ukraine after the fighting is over.”
As long as the US is not involved it’s hard to care what they work out, though Russia has said there will be no NATO forces in Ukraine. And there’s no European NATO country willing to do it without a US security guarantee.
Hell, that’s what they started the war over.
Because 1) It was OUR aggression (fomenting an illegal coup in Ukraine that endangered Russia's naval base in Crimea and resulted in a President the majority voted for in the annexed regions being illegally removed from office) that caused this war and 2) because the alternative is Ukraine losing more territory and lives.
There is no scenario where Ukraine is getting any territory back.
NOT SURE PUTIN WILL STOP WITH THAT AMOUNT
Should it happen you are all aware Putin has more fish to fry-Baltics/Moldova. Would Europe collectively come together to face this outcome? Trump will see to it that their 5% won’t be enough by threatening to withdraw us.
It takes a worried man to sing worried song.
-Kingston Trio.
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