Later this week President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin welcomed members of the US delegation, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Moscow. Their meeting deepened pressure over Ukraine’s beleaguered, contested Donbas region. In that marathon televised meeting, Putin laid bare Russia’s plan to invade and take control of the Donbas region. He stressed this aim “military or otherwise,” a clear indication of Russia’s entrenching commitment to strategic aims in Ukraine.
Putin’s comments come at a very important time. He is preparing for a closely watched trip to New Delhi, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will welcome him on Thursday. This follows a high-powered visit by a US delegation that sought to ease tensions over a number of bilateral sore points, including territorial disputes.
Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, corroborated on territory being the biggest focus at the meeting. His statement underscores the deepening complicity with ongoing tensions over this issue. He repeatedly insisted that Ukraine needs to pull its troops out of a so-called Donbas. This move is necessary to have any hope of reaching an agreement.
“Without which we do not see a solution to the crisis.” – Yuri Ushakov
Putin acknowledged the challenges in getting to an accord, calling the effort “challenging” task. To no one’s surprise, he underscored that Russia does not yet accept the US proposal on key points. This rift has led many to question just how possible future negotiations might be. The Russian government is calling for Ukraine to give up their land in the Donbas area of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly and stiffly dismissed this as a precondition.
In his statements, Putin invoked historical claims over the region, employing the term “Novorossiya” (New Russia) as he did when declaring Crimea part of Russia in 2014. His focus on liberating not just Donbas but all of Novorossiya is representative of a long-held Russian fantasy of these territories.
Against this backdrop, a call by former US President Donald Trump for peace came as welcome news. He said, “I’m interested in seeing the war ended,” underscoring a dire need for peaceful diplomacy and resolution to the conflict. Trump acknowledged the complexities of negotiations saying, “What comes out of that meeting? I can’t tell you, because it does take two to tango.”
The discussions planned for this fall in New Delhi could make a bad situation even worse. Putin’s meeting with Witkoff and Kushner was characterized as a strategic dialogue regarding the results of their prior talks, leaving many observers skeptical about the potential for progress.
As tensions between the two parties are still boiling, perhaps surprisingly, it is both sides who continue to double down. Russia’s insistence on territorial concessions clashes with Ukraine’s steadfast refusal to yield any ground. This dangerous standoff presents a historic opportunity to make durable peace possible on the peninsula.
