In the oval office, the Donald Trump showed a map of Ukraine: The Donbas area in Ukrainecolored in red, it seemed already lost. For him, the conclusion was clear: Kiev must accept a compromise to achieve peace, otherwise Russia will go ahead.
For him Volodimir Zelenskithe message was much more complicated. During his meeting with Donald Trump and several European leaders, he recalled that his grandfather had fought to release Donbas in Ukraine from the Nazis during World War II. The abandonment of this land would be equivalent to betrayal of a painful story and an identity symbol of millions of Ukrainians, the New York Times writes in an analysis.
Donbas, the heart of conflict
For ten years, the War in Ukraine has been fought mainly in this mining area consisting of Donetsk and Luhank. Tens of thousands of soldiers have lost their lives for a few kilometers. Today, Moscow demands complete control of Donbas, including areas that are still under Ukrainian administration, such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
For Vladimir Putin, the goal is not only territorial: it seeks to politically weaken Zelenski and deprive Ukraine its strategic autonomy. Kiev, for its part, categorically denies any concession, as the Constitution prohibits the allocation of territories.
Pressures and compromise scenarios
Trump’s diplomatic initiatives are constantly supplying scenarios. The US president speaks of “territorial exchanges”, an idea that the majority of Ukrainians consider betrayal. Nevertheless, some analysts estimate that a compromise could be examined whether Kiev received real security guarantees from the West, with military protection from the US or Europe.
However, this scenario stumbles on Russia’s refusal, which began the war precisely to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO. As a analyst cites the New York Times: “We’re back to zero. Without a change imposed on Putin, no serious negotiation will proceed. “
Between memory and future
For Zelenski, Donbas’ concession would mean a sacrifice of the memory of the generations who defended it. However, US pressure is intensifying, while the war continues to wear out a country that has already lost hundreds of thousands of lives and millions of residents have been displaced.
Donbas, once considered a pro -Russian stronghold, has now become a symbol of an existential war: between the right of a people to determine his future and the harsh logic of military conquest.