About 40% of Ukrainians would be willing to give up the Donbas region if Ukraine receives firm security guarantees to prevent a new Russian invasion in the future, but a majority of 52% reject the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from this territory, according to a survey conducted by the International Institute of Sociology in Kiev, reported on Monday by the EFE agency, quoted by Agerpres.
The complete occupation of the Donbas region, made up of the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Lugansk, is a key demand of Russia to conclude a peace agreement with Ukraine. The Russian army currently controls about 80% of Donetsk and almost the entire Lugansk region.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski refuses to surrender the part of Donbas still controlled by the Ukrainian army, where the latter has established fortified positions since 2014, when the first armed conflict with pro-Russian separatists took place.
According to statements given by Russian, Ukrainian and American negotiators following the first Russian-Ukrainian talks, held on January 23 and 24 in Abu Dhabi and which will continue this week, the territorial issue related to Donbas is the main obstacle preventing the realization of an agreement.
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