Russia weighs halt to peace talks unless Ukraine cedes territory

The territorial issue is the most difficult to resolve in the efforts to end the Russian invasion. Read more at straitstimes.com.

MOSCOW - Russian officials increasingly consider there is no point to continue US-led peace talks with Ukraine unless Kyiv is willing to cede territory to reach a deal, according to people familiar with the negotiations.

Talks planned for next week will be decisive in whether or not the sides can agree on terms to end the war, two people close to the Kremlin said. Russia will likely walk away if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fails to make the concession, they said, asking not to be identified because the matter is sensitive.

Russia is ready to sign a draft memorandum for a peace accord if Ukraine agrees to withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region, one of the people said. That would be followed quickly by a presidential summit between Mr Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and Mr Zelensky to confirm the deal, triggering a mutual pullback of the Russian and Ukrainian armies, the person said. 

To be sure, the territorial issue is the most difficult to resolve in the efforts to end the Russian full-scale invasion that entered its fifth year this week. Mr Zelensky insists that the fortified area of Donetsk still under Ukraine’s control is vital for defending the country against any future Russian attack, and that Kyiv will not recognise Moscow’s illegal occupation of any Ukrainian territory. 

Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky spoke by phone on Feb 25, and the Ukrainian president said they agreed the next round of negotiations with Russia should “create an opportunity to move talks to the leaders’ level”. The talks may take place around March 4 to 5. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not respond to a request for comment. He told reporters on Feb 27 that preparations for the next round of talks were taking place, though Russia saw no “substantial change” in Ukraine’s position.