After nearly a year of fruitless and controversial attempts to advance peace agreements in Ukraine, the Donald Trump administration continues to actively engage in negotiations to end the war. The most acute and at the same time most painful issue remains the topic of territorial concessions.
Foreign Policywrites about this.
The publication recalls that the first peace plan, which consisted of 28 points, was in fact an ultimatum to Kyiv. The document demanded the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and created the most favorable conditions for Russia to regroup and possibly resume the war in the future.
Instead, an alternative 20-point plan, prepared by Ukraine together with European partners and the United States, envisages a cessation of hostilities on the current front lines without further territorial concessions.
An attempt to find a compromise between these two approaches is offered by American international relations expert and former Balkan negotiator Edward P. Joseph. He believes that the model of UN Security Council Resolution No. 1244, adopted in 1999 on Kosovo, can be taken as a basis. At that time, the document formally confirmed the sovereignty of Yugoslavia, but provided for broad autonomy for the region and the transfer of management to international structures.
After the resolution was passed, both Serbian and Albanian troops left Kosovo, and the region was placed under interim UN administration with international security forces. Despite this, even 27 years later, Kosovo remains under international protection, although internal governance and law and order are carried out by local authorities.
Joseph proposes a similar scenario for Ukraine. It would involve the deployment of international peacekeeping forces under the auspices of the UN or OSCE to those parts of Donetsk region that are currently controlled by Kyiv. In this case, the peacekeepers would replace the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while the Russian troops would remain in their occupied positions.
The publication admits that such an option would be extremely painful for Ukraine. Kyiv would effectively lose even symbolic control over part of Donbas. At the same time, it could give the Ukrainian president the opportunity to stop the war, which has brought enormous human losses and destruction to the country.
Separately, journalists emphasize that such a format could provide Ukraine with the security guarantees that Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly spoken about. The presence of international peacekeepers along the contact line would create a buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia and allow the civilian population in the Kyiv-controlled part of Donbas to remain in their homes.
At the same time, the publication doubts that Moscow would easily agree to such a scenario. Despite this, Russia could also gain certain benefits – primarily the end of a war that is draining its economy and resources. In addition, Ukrainian troops and state symbols would disappear from the territories claimed by the Kremlin.
Journalists note that such a compromise does not meet the maximalist goals of Vladimir Putin, who seeks control over all of Ukraine. At the same time, the agreement could allow him to “save face” with his domestic audience and justify the colossal costs of the war.
The publication admits that such a scenario actually gives Russia a certain legitimacy, which undermines international law and basic principles of justice. However, the publication emphasizes that after a long and courageous struggle, Ukraine has a chance of survival only on condition that the United States remains on its side – continues to provide intelligence, weapons and maintain sanctions pressure on Moscow.
As reported, Washington is considering an offer to Ukraine to give up Donbas in exchange for a $800 billion financing plan for the country’s reconstruction.
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