Russia is demanding that international recognition of Donbas as Russian territory be included in a potential peace agreement.
This was reported by a Western source of the Russian agency TASS on the sidelines of the negotiations taking place in Abu Dhabi.
In addition to the territorial issue, the negotiations in Abu Dhabi are also discussing economic aspects, ceasefire mechanisms and further parameters for monitoring compliance.
There have been no official comments from Ukraine or Western countries on Russia’s demands so far.
The Kremlin has been trying to seize Donbas by force for over 11 years. The region remains central to the Russian dictator’s political and military priorities, as Putin, according to Western journalists, needs to show ‘victories’ in the war against Ukraine.
Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the issue of Donetsk Oblast had become ‘the only remaining point’ in the peace talks that needed attention.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga previously said that Ukraine was considering the creation of a special economic zone in Donbas as one of the options for breaking the deadlock in the negotiation process with Russia.
We remind you that today in the UAE, the second day of negotiations between Ukraine, the United States and Russia began.