Russian forces assert control over two settlements in Eastern Ukraine
In a significant development, the latest advances in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine were announced on Saturday, marking the latest chapter in a conflict that has been ongoing for three years. The Defense Ministry of Russia claimed control over two more villages in eastern Ukraine: Kolodyazi in the Donetsk region and Vorone in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces are making incremental gains in Ukraine's east, advancing an average of 15 to 16 square kilometers into Ukrainian territory each day. This erosion of Ukraine's defensive lines has been a strategic focus for Russian forces since Spring 2025, as stated by George Barros, ISW Russia team lead and senior analyst.
Against this backdrop, President Donald Trump is pursuing peace negotiations to end the war. Trump initially signaled readiness to accept Russian demands, including control of occupied Ukrainian territories and preventing Ukraine’s NATO membership. However, by late July 2025, Trump set deadlines for a ceasefire tied to economic measures, signaling frustration and a shift towards stronger support for Ukraine.
In mid-August 2025, Trump met Putin and planned a forthcoming meeting with Zelensky and European leaders to negotiate a comprehensive peace deal. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised that the goal is a full peace deal ending the war, not just a ceasefire. He noted the difficulty in negotiations since each side must both concede and gain territory or political concessions for peace to be viable.
Regarding territorial swaps and negotiations, these talks implicitly involve compromises over currently occupied regions. However, no concrete agreement on specific territorial swaps has been announced publicly yet. The emphasis is on reaching a diplomatic solution through negotiated concessions on both sides rather than continued fighting.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected the idea of giving up any land in exchange for peace. President Zelensky has repeatedly declared that Ukraine will not compromise on its territorial integrity. Despite this, Trump has suggested territorial swaps as a potential solution to end the war.
The negotiations are expected to be challenging, requiring compromises and territorial or political concessions by Russia and Ukraine alike. The US is not directly involved in the war but is attempting to leverage Trump’s unique position to bring Putin to the negotiating table. The ultimate goal is a comprehensive peace deal that ends the war in Ukraine.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts between Russia and Ukraine have become a significant topic in politics and general news, with the latest developments being the focus of peace negotiations led by President Donald Trump to find a diplomatic solution.
- The politics of territorial swaps are a central component of the peace negotiations to end the war-and-conflicts in Ukraine, as both Russia and Ukraine are expected to make territorial or political concessions in order to reach a lasting peace deal.
