Donald Trump is trying to pressure Kiev into ceding territories to Russia, but even if Volodimir Zelenski would agree, Moscow would likely want more, given that it has repeatedly signaled that the invasion of Ukraine is more than a simple territorial issue, reports The Times.
In an effort to succeed in concluding a peace agreement after nearly a year of efforts, the American president is trying to pressure Kiev into surrendering the entire Donbas to Moscow, so that a ceasefire could come into effect by Christmas. The Kremlin has stated that it can only end the fighting if Ukraine withdraws its forces from the region – thus giving up fortified cities under Ukrainian control such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in the Donetsk region.
However, even assuming that Zelenski would agree to cede territories to Russia, the Ukrainian constitution provides that territory can only be ceded following a national referendum, which would be difficult, if not impossible, to organize during a war. On the other hand, a referendum would not be necessary if Kiev were to withdraw its forces without officially recognizing Russian rule.
But such a decision could face opposition from forces on the ground.
Mikola Bielieskov, a senior analyst at Come Back Alive, a charitable organization that provides assistance to the Ukrainian army, estimates that some sectors of the armed forces would likely oppose any order to withdraw from Donbas, with unpredictable consequences for national unity.
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