Washington [US], October 21: US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he thinks Ukraine and Russia should freeze the front line and end the conflict, which would include dividing the eastern Donbas region as a result.
"We think that what they should do is just stop at the lines where they are - the battle lines...go home, stop killing people, and be done," he told reporters aboard the presidential aircraft Air Force One.
When asked whether Trump told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he should cede the Donbas to Russia, Trump said, "No. We never discussed it." Zelensky met with Trump in Washington on Friday.
The Financial Times, citing unnamed sources, reported that Trump had allegedly urged Zelensky during their meeting on Friday to give up the entire Donbas to end the war.
Such a move would allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to achieve one of his key objectives in the war that Putin started in February 2022.
Stop now, negotiate later Trump said he thought some 78% of the land had already been "taken by Russia," adding that he wants a halt on the battlefield and the two sides should deal with the details later.
"The rest is very tough to negotiate." Asked what he thought should be done with the Donbas region, Trump said "Let it be cut the way it is. It's cut up right now." "They can negotiate something later on down the line." Trump made his comments on his return flight from Florida to Washington.
Before 2014, the industrial region of Donbas had a population of approximately 6.5 million and was the core of Ukraine's heavy industry, rich in coal and iron. However, many mines and factories were already outdated at that time.
Surrendering the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk would mean that Russia would gain territories without a fight, which it had never been able to conquer militarily. Additionally, Kiev would lose a well-fortified defensive belt in the still Ukrainian-controlled part of the Donbas.
Source: Qatar Tribune
