Donbas at the center of Ukraine war

The piece explores why Putin ties any end to Donbas control and what it implies for Ukraine, Russia and global diplomacy.

Donbas at the heart of Russia's Ukraine war

In Alaska, the article says Putin and his US counterpart discussed Ukraine ceding Donetsk and Luhansk, with Putin calling for a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from those areas and a freeze of fighting along the rest of the front, especially in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. It notes that Putin has repeatedly framed Donbas as historically linked to Russia and part of the Soviet legacy, while acknowledging that, under constitutional law, Donbas belongs to Ukraine. The piece traces the region’s significance from its industrial base to its role as a land link to Crimea via the Kerch bridge. The article adds that about 88 percent of the Donbas is currently under Kremlin control, with most of Donetsk and all of Luhansk in Moscow’s hands, and it highlights the region’s mineral wealth including coal, iron ore and rare earths. It also explains why control of Donbas matters beyond resources: it underpins Ukraine’s fortress belt and a potential front for sustaining or stalling any broader push toward central Ukraine.

The article shows how history, national identity and geography shape a living conflict. Donbas sits at once as a historical claim for Moscow and a strategic chokepoint that makes Crimea reachable by land. The editorial angle is clear: any deal that prizes Donbas concessions over constitutional sovereignty would test Ukraine’s democratic legitimacy and international commitments. It also flags a domestic hurdle—public opinion in Ukraine and the political realities of a constitution that guards territorial integrity—while reminding readers that diplomacy now runs alongside military stalemate. The piece invites readers to weigh whether security guarantees can ever replace a legal framework that millions see as nonnegotiable.

Highlights

Future talks will reveal whether diplomacy can align with the realities on the ground