The Russian delegation at negotiations with the US in Saudi Arabia is pushing for control over four Ukrainian oblasts—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, according to The Moscow Times, citing its sources.
Steve Witkoff, a US special envoy and Trump administration negotiator, has drawn sharp criticism from Ukraine for his comments on the root causes of Russia’s war against Ukraine. He appeared to legitimize Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territories by referencing sham referenda conducted “at gunpoint” in regions like Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk. Ukrainian officials and critics argue that Witkoff’s statements misrepresent historical facts, undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty, and align with Russian propaganda.
Despite not fully controlling all four Ukrainian regions, the Kremlin aims to claim them within their administrative borders.
“There is no constitutional mechanism for regions to leave Russia. We need the entire Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions,” a Kremlin-linked official stated.
Another source, a current Russian official, said the Kremlin hopes Washington will pressure Kyiv to withdraw its forces completely from the occupied regions.
“Either Trump will influence them to leave, or we’ll be told: ‘Engage in prolonged negotiations while using military force to establish control.’ That’s the worst option for us because crossing rivers is always a painful operation,” the source added.
As an alternative, Russia may attempt to seize part of the Dnipropetrovsk or Sumy oblasts and then propose an exchange for Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
Earlier, CNN reported that Russian ruler Vladimir Putin’s real ambitions in the war are much broader than gaining control over several regions. The Russian president openly states that Ukraine has no right to exist as an independent state. He also demands that NATO return to its pre-Cold War borders. However, his ultimate goal is to create a new world order in which Russia plays a leading role.
Putin and his inner circle come from the KGB, the Soviet intelligence service. They have not forgotten the humiliation of the Soviet Union’s collapse and are dissatisfied with how the world has evolved since.
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