Russia signals openness to territorial exchange with Ukraine.
Russia signals it may consider swapping some territory in peace talks with Ukraine, but President Putin asserts Donbas is a “red line.”
Donbas is a “red line”
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly shared with a number of top Russian businessmen that he could consider swapping some of the territory Russia controls in Ukraine with Kyiv, but emphasized the prerequisite that the entire Donbas region must belong to Russia.
This content was presented by Putin during a closed-door meeting at the Kremlin on the night of December 24.
Putin reportedly affirmed that Russia remains ready to implement the concessions he previously mentioned at the summit in Anchorage with President Trump in August.
Accordingly, apart from the Donbas area, Russia is still open to the possibility of exchanging some areas with Ukraine as part of a potential peace agreement.
This stance aligns with conditions Putin has previously outlined, which require Ukraine to withdraw troops from all of Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, and to formally abandon the goal of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
According to Russian estimates, Moscow currently controls the entire Crimean peninsula, approximately 90% of Donbas, 75% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, along with some small areas in other Ukrainian provinces.
Beyond the territorial issue, Putin also addressed the future of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant—Europe’s largest nuclear facility—which is currently under Moscow’s control.
Accordingly, there is a possibility that Russia and the United States could jointly manage the plant, and even the option of using the plant to partially supply electricity to Ukraine is under consideration.
Ukraine adamant on not ceding territory
While Moscow signals “conditional flexibility,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated he expects to meet President Trump in the coming days.
“Many issues could be decided before the New Year,” he shared on Telegram and social media X, expressing hope as Washington strives to increase its mediating role to end the conflict, which is about to enter its fourth year.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that the most sensitive issues, particularly any compromise related to territory, can only be discussed at the head-of-state level.
Kyiv is seeking a direct meeting with Trump, as the US and Ukraine have moved closer to finalizing a 20-point peace plan.
It was previously reported that Zelensky could travel to Florida as early as December 28, where Trump is spending the Christmas holidays.
According to the Ukrainian President, recent exchanges with US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner—President Trump’s son-in-law—have made significant progress.
The Donbas, short for Donets Basin, is a historical and economic region in eastern Ukraine, internationally recognized for its vast coal reserves and heavy industry. Its modern history is deeply tied to industrialization in the 19th century under the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union. Since 2014, the region has been the focal point of a protracted armed conflict following Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its support for separatist forces in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
Kremlin
The Kremlin is a historic fortified complex at the heart of Moscow, Russia, serving as the country’s political and cultural center. Originally constructed in the 12th century as a wooden fortress, it evolved into a grand citadel of cathedrals, palaces, and government buildings under rulers like Ivan the Great. Today, it is the official residence of the Russian president and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Anchorage
Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, founded in 1914 as a construction port for the Alaska Railroad. It grew rapidly due to its strategic location and later became a key hub for transportation and oil exploration following major discoveries on the North Slope in the late 1960s. Today, it serves as a modern gateway to the wilderness of Alaska while retaining a history tied to indigenous cultures, railroads, and resource development.
Zaporizhzhia
Zaporizhzhia is a major industrial city in southeastern Ukraine, historically significant as the heart of the Zaporozhian Cossacks. Its most famous cultural site is Khortytsia Island on the Dnipro River, a national reserve that was the location of the Cossacks’ fortified Sich, a center of their autonomous military society in the 16th-18th centuries. Today, the island hosts a museum complex dedicated to preserving this pivotal chapter in Ukrainian history.
Kherson
Kherson is a port city in southern Ukraine, founded in 1778 by Russian Empress Catherine the Great on the Dnieper River near the Black Sea. It was established as a key shipbuilding center for the Russian Black Sea Fleet and served as a gateway for Russia’s expansion into the region historically known as New Russia (Novorossiya). In recent history, it was the first major Ukrainian city captured by Russian forces in the 2022 invasion and was liberated by Ukrainian forces in late 2022.
Crimean peninsula
The Crimean Peninsula, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, has a long and complex history of settlement and rule by various peoples, including the ancient Greeks, Goths, Byzantines, and the Crimean Khanate. It was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1783 and became part of Ukraine in 1954 before being unilaterally annexed by Russia in 2014, a move not recognized by most of the international community. Today, it is a region of significant geopolitical tension, known for its strategic naval bases and its diverse cultural heritage from its many historical influences.
Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in southeastern Ukraine is Europe’s largest nuclear power facility, with construction beginning in 1980 during the Soviet era and its first reactor coming online in 1984. It has been under Russian military occupation since March 2022, creating an ongoing international safety and security crisis due to the risks of combat near its six reactors. The site’s history is now deeply intertwined with the war, marking the first time a major nuclear plant has been seized in an armed conflict.
Florida
Florida is a southeastern U.S. state known for its extensive coastline, warm climate, and major tourist destinations like Walt Disney World and Miami Beach. Historically, it was first colonized by Spain in 1513, becoming a U.S. territory in 1821 after periods of Spanish and British rule, and was admitted as the 27th state in 1845. Its culture reflects diverse influences, including Indigenous, Spanish, and Caribbean heritage, and it is famous for its space program at Cape Canaveral.
