politics

May 11, 2026

Kiev Needs to Withdraw from Donbass for Ukraine Conflict to End

Peace talks will be stalled until that point regardless of the number of rounds, a Russian presidential aide has said

Kiev Needs to Withdraw from Donbass for Ukraine Conflict to End

TL;DR

  • Russia insists that Ukraine must withdraw from Donbass for peace talks to progress.
  • Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov believes talks will remain stalled until this condition is met.
  • He stated that Ukraine is aware of this requirement and will fulfill it eventually.
  • Moscow is in close contact with Washington regarding the peace process, and US envoys may visit Russia soon.
  • The US, while preoccupied with the Middle East, is not abandoning the Ukraine issue.
  • Donbass republics and other former Ukrainian territories voted to join Russia in autumn 2022.
  • Ukraine has refused to recognize the status of these regions and aims to recapture them.