US and Russia negotiate truce: Ukraine's territorial integrity under threat

Washington and Moscow are holding behind-the-scenes talks on a deal that could legally enshrine part of the occupied Ukrainian territories for Russia, UNN reports, citing Bloomberg.

Details

According to several informed sources, the US and Russia are actively preparing for a possible agreement to end the war in Ukraine. The essence of the agreement is the de facto consolidation of territorial "gains" for the Kremlin, obtained as a result of the full-scale invasion of 2022.

The negotiations are intended to prepare the ground for a potential meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, which could take place as early as next week.

According to sources, Russia demands recognition of Crimea and the entire eastern part of Donbas as its territories, which implies a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions controlled by Kyiv. Such a scenario would be a political victory for Putin, as it would allow him to impose peace terms directly with Washington, effectively ignoring Kyiv.

Ukraine is currently not commenting on these negotiations, nor is the White House. The Kremlin also refrained from making statements. At the same time, sources warn: the probable agreement is at the discussion stage and may undergo changes. It is about "freezing" the conflict, not a full-fledged end to the war.

The terms of the negotiations also stipulate that Russia will stop offensive actions in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, but it is unknown whether the Kremlin will agree to withdraw troops from the occupied territories, including the Zaporizhzhia NPP - the largest in Europe.

Ukraine's European allies are alarmed. They fear that a truce may only give Russia time to regroup, while Ukraine will face an ultimatum - either lose territories or lose support.

Recall

Donald Trump appealed to Italy with a request to organize a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Rome or the Vatican. Italy, as a party to the Rome Statute, is obliged to arrest Putin under the ICC warrant.