Kremlin Reaffirms Demand for Ukraine to Cede All of Donbas After Abu Dhabi Talks

The Kremlin said on Monday that territorial issues remained fundamental for Russia in any deal to end the war in Ukraine, reaffirming its demand that Kyiv cede the entire Donbas region after weekend talks in Abu Dhabi, according to Reuters on January 26. 

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said “the territorial issue … is of fundamental importance to the Russian side,” referencing what Moscow calls the “Anchorage formula,”  which a source close to the Kremlin told Reuters was agreed between US President Donald Trump and the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, at a summit in Alaska last August. 

Peskov’s remarks echoed statements carried by Russia’s state media that Russia wants Ukraine to hand over all of Donbas and freeze front lines elsewhere in Ukraine’s east and south, while Russia already controls about 90% of Donbas, according to Reuters. 

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War in Ukraine

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Ukraine has repeatedly rejected territorial concessions, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over the weekend that a US-backed security guarantees document was “100% ready” but still needed to be signed, while emphasizing that Ukraine’s territorial integrity remained non-negotiable. 

The Abu Dhabi talks ended without an agreement, but another round is expected next weekend. A US official said negotiators would return to the United Arab Emirates on February 1. 

Earlier, Chancellor Merz said Ukraine must not be pressured into surrendering Donbas, condemning Russia’s territorial demands and reaffirming that forcing Kyiv to give up sovereign territory would be unacceptable.

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