The Ukrainian authorities are probably ready to give up control over the territories in the eastern part of the Donetsk region in favor of Russia. This was reported on Thursday, February 12, by the journalist of the American magazine The Atlantic Simon Schuster, referring to two advisers to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He called this possible move "the heaviest concession" of Kiev in negotiations with Moscow.
"To make this compromise legitimate, they were considering the possibility of holding a referendum on the peace plan this spring, allowing Ukrainians to vote on an agreement that includes the loss of territory," the publication says.
Abandoning responsibility for war crimes?
According to Shuster, the head of the Ukrainian President's office, Kyrylo Budanov, has held long discussions with Zelensky's advisers about the legal and practical conditions that Ukraine must fulfill in order to withdraw its troops from some areas of the Donetsk region without allowing the Russian army to seize this territory. "They are really showing ingenuity, looking for ways to make people accept it," one of the Ukrainian officials told the journalist.
In addition, as the author of the article notes, Ukraine has "practically given up" from its previous demands to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and the aggressor country's military leadership accountable for war crimes in Ukraine.
Disagreements over Donbas
Representatives of Moscow and Kiev held direct talks for the first time in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on January 23-24 on the plan proposed by the United States to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
According to sources in the negotiating circles, the parties have already agreed on several points, but have not reached an agreement on the issue of territories. Following the results of the first round of negotiations, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the Donbas issue is the only one that remains unresolved. Russia demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas, while Kiev rejects this demand.