Putin signals possible territory swap in Ukraine deal
Russian President Vladimir Putin told top Russian businessmen that he may be open to a partial territory swap in Ukraine but insists that all of Donbas must remain under Russian control, the Kommersant newspaper reported.
Putin briefed business leaders during a late-night Kremlin meeting on December 24, stating that Russia could negotiate exchanges outside Donbas, referencing prior concessions discussed at the Anchorage summit with the United States, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said talks over the weekend in Miami brought Ukraine and the U.S. closer to finalizing a 20-point plan, though no agreement was reached on Donbas or the future of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently controlled by Russian forces.
Russia holds all of Crimea, roughly 90% of Donbas, 75% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, and portions of Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk. Putin also discussed potential joint Russian-U.S. management of Zaporizhzhia, including crypto mining and partial electricity supply to Ukraine.
The conflict, which began in February 2022, remains Europe’s deadliest since World War II, with U.S. envoys continuing negotiations alongside European partners to reach a settlement.
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