Vladimir Putin’s demand for Ukraine to give the entire Donbas region before Russia stops hostilities, highlighted a central issue raised in every negotiation: where a border will be accepted by both sides.
However, finding a solution is expected to be extremely difficult. Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski categorically rejected Russia’s proposal, citing the Ukraine Constitution, which stipulates that its territory is indivisible and inviolable.
Ukraine has repeatedly stated that its aim is to restore borders that were in force before the first Russian invasion, more than a decade ago. Putin, however, has shown no intention of ending his pursuit of Donbas’ control.
The agreement on a new border would require the official drawing of a 750 -mile front line, which has been violently changing for years, sometimes in favor of Ukraine and sometimes in favor of Russia.
Following is a retrospective of the New York Times in the Russian advancements on Ukrainian territory since the first invasion of Crimea in 2014.
2014-2022: The Russian invasion of Crimea and Donbas
Russian forces occupied Crimea, a peninsula extending from the south coast of Ukraine in 2014. Putin then annexed the area, in a move that is not internationally recognized after a disputed referendum.
Later in the same year, Russia -backed autonomist forces also occupied territories in eastern Ukraine. Heavy conflicts have led to the possession of about a third of Donbas by the separatists, who declared separated “democracies”. The battles with the Ukrainian army continued on a relatively steady front line, until the full scale of 2022.
2022: Russian invasion
Russia recorded sweeping territorial profits in the first month of its full -scale invasion of Ukraine. Its forces occupied a wide corridor of land that connected Crimea with Donbas, launched a massive attack on Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, and went deeper into the eastern country.
By the end of March, Russia had reached the highest point of its territorial control in Ukraine.
2022: Ukrainian counterattacks
After failing to occupy Kiev, Russia retired from Northern Ukraine in April 2022 to focus on Donbas’ businesses. Later in the same year, the Ukrainian forces launched two major counterattacks: they recaptured most of the Harcib region to the east and then repelled the Russian forces south, beyond the Dnipero River, restoring control of the city.
By November 2022, Russia had been forced to abandon many of the areas it had occupied earlier in the war.
Today
Since then, Russia has continued to advance along the large part of the 750 -mile front, but it is not able to achieve a significant breakdown.
Recently, Moscow recorded its largest territorial profits since the summer of 2022, occupying more than 200 square miles in July, according to estimates of open sources. The majority of its advanced advanced from attacks on small infantry groups, often on foot or motorcycles.
However, Russia is still far from achieving complete control of Donbas, which the Kremlin considers to include Donetsk and Luhank areas in eastern Ukraine. Today it controls almost the entire Luhansk, but Ukraine still maintains more than 2,500 square miles of ground in Donetsk.
The area held by Ukraine in Donetsk is one of the most powerful fortified fronts on the front and includes two major cities, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, which operate as a Ukrainian military center since 2014. Any Ukrainian retreat from this area would mean losses. At least 200,000 Ukrainians still live there.
Source :Skai
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