US and Ukraine Struggle to Find Middle Ground on Donbas
Peace talks between the United States and Ukraine have reached an impasse, as the US insists on concessions while President Zelenskyy seeks to maintain current control.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to Politico.
Peace negotiations between the US and Ukraine have stalled over the issue of Donbas. According to sources, the American side is pushing Ukraine to give up parts of Donbas that remain under Kyiv’s control, while Ukraine insists on freezing the conflict at its current level.
Currently, about 30% of Donbas remains under Ukrainian control, including the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. Ukraine fears that withdrawing from these territories would only encourage further Russian aggression in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions.
Kyiv is also awaiting concrete security guarantees from the US to ensure protection of the territories that remain under Ukrainian control.
“There is one question I — and all Ukrainians — want to get an answer to: if Russia again starts a war, what will our partners do,” Zelenskyy said.
The Americans, in turn, are pushing for a swift agreement, with pressure from Washington intensified by former President Donald Trump, who expects rapid progress.
“The Americans are pushing, demanding ‘faster, faster, faster,’” an anonymous Ukrainian official said, describing significant US pressure on Ukraine to accept a deal.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin continues to state that it plans to take full control of Donbas, while Ukraine warns of the risks of further escalation. As a result, the talks are at an impasse, caught between Russia’s demands, the US push for quick progress, and Ukraine’s position of refusing to pay with territory for a questionable peace.
As The Gaze reported earlier, On December 8, a high-level meeting took place in London between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to discuss the ongoing US-brokered peace negotiations.
President Macron emphasized that the talks aimed to find a “convergence” between the positions of Ukraine, the US, and European allies, in order to move the negotiations to a new phase focused on securing the best possible conditions for Ukraine, Europe, and collective security.
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