Zelensky remains unwilling to surrender the Donbas region, warning that such a move would serve as a launching pad for Putin to conduct future attacks.
In a significant development, peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have hit a roadblock, with Russia insisting on territorial concessions as a prerequisite for any ceasefire or peace agreement.
According to reports from the Institute for the Study of War, Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently demanded full control over Donetsk Oblast, a region in eastern Ukraine, as a non-negotiable condition for any agreement[1]. During the recent Alaska Summit, Putin is said to have made clear that he expects Ukraine to cede the entirety of Donetsk Oblast to Russia.
While there are indications that Putin may have offered a limited ceasefire in southern Ukraine in exchange for control over Donetsk Oblast, the specifics of this proposal remain unclear. Alongside territorial demands, Putin also stresses that any deal must address what the Kremlin terms the "root causes" of the war, notably NATO’s eastward expansion and alleged discrimination against Russian speakers in Ukraine.
These "root causes" demands effectively mean that Russia insists Ukraine must capitulate to broader Russian political goals, including curbs on Ukrainian sovereignty and influence of Western institutions. This stance is seen as a non-compromise by many observers.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed not to give eastern Ukrainian land to Russia, stating that abandoning the Donbas region would open the door for Putin to "start a third war" in Ukraine[2]. Zelensky has not heard any proposal that would guarantee the security of Ukraine's sovereign state and people. He believes that Putin's proposal is not the same as Trump's, and that Trump represents the United States of America as a mediator.
Trump has signaled that he plans to phone Zelensky after a summit with multiple European leaders on Friday. The European Union's involvement in peace talks is crucial for Ukraine because "no one except Europe is giving us security guarantees," Zelensky stated[3].
Meanwhile, Zelensky and Ukrainian military officials have warned that Russia is building up troops for a new offensive, ready to launch by September. Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014, and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine took place in February 2022.
References:
[1] Institute for the Study of War. (2025, August 16). Ukraine: Daily Briefing. Retrieved from https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine-daily-briefing
[2] CNN. (2025, August 12). Zelensky: Abandoning Donbas would open door for Putin to 'start a third war' in Ukraine. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/12/politics/zelensky-donbas-putin-war/index.html
[3] Reuters. (2025, August 10). Ukraine's Zelenskiy says European Union is only one giving security guarantees. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-zelenskiy-says-european-union-only-one-giving-security-guarantees-2025-08-10/
Despite Putin's potential offer of a limited ceasefire in southern Ukraine, global concern persists over his demands for full control over Donetsk Oblast, a region in eastern Ukraine. This pressing issue has intensified discussions on world politics, general news, and Europe, with implications extending beyond war-and-conflicts in Ukraine. The European Union's involvement in peace talks is paramount for Ukraine's security, as expressed by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, who believes that no one except Europe is providing security guarantees for Ukraine.
