Putin Signals Openness to Limited Land Swaps, Insists on Full Donbas Control

Putin's Stance on Ukrainian Territories

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently conveyed to a group of prominent Russian businessmen his potential openness to exchanging some Ukrainian territories currently under Russian control. However, this willingness is contingent on Russia securing full control of the Donbas region, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The details of this proposition emerged from a late-night Kremlin meeting on December 24, as reported by the Kommersant newspaper and its Kremlin correspondent, Andrei Kolesnikov.

During the meeting, Putin reportedly emphasized, 'Donbas is ours,' and stated that the status of the Kramatorsk–Kostiantynivka–Sloviansk hub within Donbas is 'not up for discussion.' This reiterates Russia's long-standing demand for the entire Donbas region.

Context of Peace Negotiations and Territorial Demands

The Russian President's remarks come amidst ongoing efforts to find a resolution to the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently noted that Ukrainian and US delegations have made progress on a 20-point peace plan during talks in Miami. However, significant disagreements persist, particularly concerning the parts of Donbas still under Ukrainian control and the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Putin had previously outlined his conditions for a peace deal on December 19, which included Ukraine's withdrawal from all of the Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, alongside Kyiv's official renunciation of its aim to join NATO.

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and Ukraine's Position

The issue of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, was also reportedly discussed by Putin with the businessmen. According to Kommersant, Putin mentioned the possibility of joint Russian-US management of the facility. He also suggested that the US had expressed interest in crypto mining near the plant and its potential use to partially supply electricity to Ukraine.

Ukraine, for its part, has consistently rejected any proposals that involve ceding territory. Ukrainian officials maintain that such actions would be illegal under the country's constitution, which mandates a nationwide referendum for any changes to its territorial borders. President Zelenskyy has affirmed that Ukraine will not offer any 'awards' to Russia for its actions. Ukraine has also put forward proposals for a demilitarized zone in Donetsk, conditional on a reciprocal withdrawal of Russian forces from an equivalent area.