Slovyansk on the Negotiation Front: Set for Russian Representation?
In the midst of potential territorial exchange discussions between President Trump and President Putin, Colonel Markus Reisner sheds light on the areas likely to be involved. One such area is Slowjansk, currently held by Ukrainian forces and not represented or controlled by Russia in any negotiations.
Despite Russia's demands for recognition of its control over certain Ukrainian territories for a ceasefire, cities like Slowjansk remain under Ukrainian administration. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy has consistently rejected any territorial concessions, including in strategic cities such as Slowjansk, and insists all territorial questions be decided only by Ukraine itself.
As negotiations continue, it is unclear if Russia will represent Slowjansk, given its current status under Ukrainian control and Kyiv's resistance to any territorial swaps or recognition of Russian claims there. Recent negotiations and diplomatic meetings have involved Russia and the US or European parties, but Ukraine was not invited to all talks, and the country maintains a firm stance against ceding any recognized territory.
The future of Slowjansk remains a key point due to its strategic importance and continued control by Ukrainian forces. As the discussions unfold, it appears that Slowjansk will not be represented by Russia in upcoming talks, as it remains under Ukrainian control and Ukraine rejects Russian claims there.
Meanwhile, other developments in the region include reported advances of Russian troops near Dobropillia, the loss of at least 12 foreign volunteers in a Russian attack on a Ukrainian military training camp, and denials by the Ukrainian army of a Russian breakthrough on the frontline near Pokrovsk and Dobropillya.
The Russian air force has also reportedly bombed targets within its own country in the Belgorod region, while Hungary's government refuses to sign a joint statement by the other 26 EU member states welcoming US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the Russian war against Ukraine.
Ukraine reports retaking two settlements in the border region of Sumy, and Lithuania plans to open three drone training centers for the general public and schoolchildren in September. The Kremlin is also stepping up efforts to create a "sovereign internet" disconnected from global networks and is attempting to replace Western services with domestic ones.
George Barros from the Institute for the Study of War does not expect much from the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Reinforcements have been sent to repel advances by Russian forces near Pokrovsk and Dobropillia, and Moscow demands territories in Ukraine, including the town of Slowjansk in the Donetsk region, which it does not control.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has rejected speculations about possible territorial concessions by Ukraine for peace with Russia, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accuses Russia of trying to drive a wedge between Warsaw and Kyiv. Russia appears to have conducted initial tests to shut down video and audio calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, and former German ambassador to Russia, Rüdiger von Fritsch, does not believe in a peace process and calls a territorial concession by Ukraine to Russia a "fatal abandonment" of existing international law.
Finally, a Russian oil refinery in the Saratov region is said to have stopped oil production following a drone attack by Ukraine, and the Ukrainian military has converted agricultural aircraft into weapons of war for testing purposes. These developments underscore the complex and evolving nature of the conflict in the region, with Slowjansk remaining a significant point of contention.
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