Free Road to Odessa: Insiders named the main danger of Putin Donbass transfer
Ukraine is unlikely to agree to abandon the controversial territory in the Donbass, not least because it is a strongly fortified area, which, if seized by Russia, will leave Ukraine open to future attacks, reports The Wall Street Journal with reference to the insider, aware of the topic of American briefing. "Donbas is a heavily fortified territory. There are hills and the rest of Ukraine is flat and not fortified. Therefore, if [Putin] seizes Donbas, he will have a free path to Odessa.
Russia could not capture this part of Donbass for 11 years," said the informant. On the eve of Trump's meetings with Zelensky and European leaders, Russia resumed missile strikes in Ukraine. The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the night of August 18 launched ballistic missiles and 140 shock drones, resulting in at least seven people in Kharkiv, including a whole family, including two children and grandmother.
As a result of Russian blows, three more people were killed in Zaporizhzhia, including a child, and at least 20 were injured. Former high-ranking Western and Russian officials do not believe that any Russian law will prevent the Kremlin from causing a new blow.
Analysts have warned that any Russian security guarantees for Ukraine would probably be accompanied by a persistent requirement of Russia's right to veto any similar arrangements-the position that Moscow has occupied during previous peace talks-which would make any guarantees potentially useless.
According to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Andriy Kozirev, Russia has already promised to respect the internationally recognized borders of Ukraine, but they were still violated. "There are several Russian legal obligations to respect the internationally recognized borders between Ukraine and Russia, in particular the treaty signed by Putin himself in 2003, which he violated the invasion that began in 2014 and intensifies now," he wrote.
Mike Karpenter, a former employee of the National Security Council in Baiden, wrote on Sunday in his post: "This should be a satire: the Russian Duma is about to provide security guarantees that the Kremlin will not re -attack Ukraine? Achieving any security guarantees for Ukraine and how they will be implemented will also take months, which will allow Russia to continue its military offensive on Ukraine.
Zelensky, who appeared on Sunday in Brussels, together with the President of the European Commission Ursula von Der Lyen, expressed anxiety about the latest proposals, stating that it was impossible to enter into negotiations with Moscow "under pressure of weapons", and, as before, that there should Recall that Ursula von Der Lyen, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of UK Kir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and President of Finland Alexander Stubb.
Currently, most analysts agree that even if Putin has supported the idea of security guarantees during Alaska summit, the Russian president is unlikely to be ready to agree to something similar to NATO's defense, after three years fought against it. Tatiana Stanova, a senior researcher at the Center of Carnegie and Eurasia, believes that Putin is likely to return to the type of security guarantees that Moscow first introduced during Istanbul negotiations in March 2022, when Russia was vetoed.
Russia will also not be ready to refuse its demand for the radical reduction of the size of the army of Ukraine, she said: "This requirement, along with the requirement of" denacification ", has not disappeared. negotiations and will depend on what else will be agreed.
" Earlier, Focus wrote that after meeting with Putin on Alaska Trump, he told the Allies that the Russian leader seeking control of the Lugansk and Donetsk regions, but was ready for compromise in Zaporozhye and Kherson region due to freezing the front line.