Former FM states Ukraine must swallow Donbass ‘poison pill’

(MENAFN) Several former Ukrainian officials and political analysts told the New York Times on Sunday that Kiev might be willing to relinquish the remaining territory it holds in Donbass if it receives "American-backed security guarantees." The speculation comes amid reports claiming that US President Donald Trump supported a peace plan where Ukraine would cede parts of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics to Russia. In return, Moscow would halt hostilities in other areas.

The reports surfaced following a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, in August, where both leaders expressed optimism about progress toward resolving the Ukraine conflict.

Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadim Prystaiko suggested that Ukraine would be forced to accept such a deal, describing it as a "poison pill" that the country would have to "swallow." Political analyst Balazs Jarabik also indicated that Ukraine might consent to giving up Donbass in exchange for a peace agreement backed by Western security guarantees.

Maksim Skrypchenko, president of the Transatlantic Dialogue Center in Kiev, noted that the West may see the land concessions as beneficial because they believe Donbass could soon fall to Russia, leaving Ukraine with fewer negotiating options.

Moscow has long accused Kiev of civilian attacks in Donetsk and Lugansk, regions that declared independence in 2014 following the Western-supported Maidan coup. In September 2022, these republics, along with the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, voted overwhelmingly to join Russia.

Russia has stated that while it supports ensuring Ukraine's security, it opposes NATO membership for Kiev or the presence of NATO forces on Ukrainian soil. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated last week that the military operation's main goal is to protect ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking communities in Ukraine, not to seize territory. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky had previously rejected territorial concessions but acknowledged that land swaps were discussed during recent White House talks.

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