Simon Shuster reported in his article on February 12 that the Ukrainian side is considering the possibility of transferring control over certain territories in the Donetsk region to the Russian Federation, which he calls "the heaviest concession" from Kyiv during negotiations with Moscow.
Shuster also added that to legitimize such a compromise, the Ukrainian side is contemplating the possibility of holding a referendum this spring to allow citizens to vote on an agreement that implies territorial loss.
It has become known that Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president's office, has been engaged in lengthy discussions with Zelensky's aides regarding the legal and practical conditions necessary for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from certain areas of the Donetsk region without the risk of those territories being seized by the Russian army.
“They are indeed showing creativity and looking for ways to make this acceptable to the people,” noted one Ukrainian official in a conversation with a journalist.
Furthermore, the article's author emphasizes that Ukraine has effectively abandoned its previous demands to hold Vladimir Putin and Russian military personnel accountable for war crimes on Ukrainian territory.
Diplomatic negotiations between representatives of Moscow and Kyiv took place for the first time in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, on January 23 and 24, as part of a U.S.-proposed plan to end the conflict. According to sources, the parties reached agreements on several points; however, the issue of territories remains unresolved. During the first round of negotiations, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the Donbass issue remains unresolved. Russia insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the region, while Kyiv rejects this demand.
