Russia may abandon further peace talks with Ukraine if Kyiv does not agree to the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the part of Donetsk region it controls, informed sources familiar with the preparations for the upcoming talks have reported.
According to the interlocutors, the meeting of representatives of the parties may take place as early as next week and is considered key to the further fate of the diplomatic process.
According to sources, the Russian side is signaling its readiness to sign a memorandum on a future peace agreement only on the condition of the complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the territories of the Donetsk region, which currently remain under the control of Kyiv.
If such agreements are reached, the next stage could be a political summit involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and former US President Donald Trump, during which the parameters of the potential agreement are planned to be finally confirmed. Among the possible points discussed is the mutual withdrawal of troops.
At the same time, the Ukrainian side has not publicly confirmed the existence of such conditions. Official Kyiv has previously repeatedly emphasized that any negotiations are possible only without concessions regarding the territorial integrity of the state.
Experts note that the demand for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops actually means consolidating Russia's control over part of Donbas, which makes such proposals extremely sensitive from a political and security point of view.
It is expected that the upcoming negotiations could be decisive for further international attempts to achieve an end to the war.
