Kremlin Demands Ukraine Quit Donbas for Peace Talks as 3-Day Ceasefire Nears May 11 End
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Post · May 10
Kremlin Demands Ukraine Quit Donbas for Peace Talks as 3-Day Ceasefire Nears May 11 End
3 articles · Updated · Kyiv Post · May 10
Yuri Ushakov said peace efforts will remain deadlocked even after 10 rounds of talks unless Ukraine fully withdraws its forces from Donbas, underscoring that Moscow’s territorial position has not changed.
The Kremlin still signaled confidence in the US channel, with Ushakov saying he expects Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to return to Moscow despite Washington’s recent focus on Middle East tensions.
Current negotiations around a 20-point framework have stalled on the hardest issues—territorial sovereignty and the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant—while Moscow also wants a Zelensky call to start direct talks.
A 3-day ceasefire tied to a 2,000-person prisoner exchange expires on May 11, leaving little time for Trump’s push for a broader deal driven by estimated monthly casualties of 25,000 to 30,000 soldiers.
As peace talks stall, who will prevent a nuclear disaster at the contested Zaporizhzhia power plant?
Russia demands Donbas based on a past victory, but can its current attritional war machine enforce this ultimatum?
With global crises mounting, is the US diplomatic channel strong enough to broker peace in both Ukraine and Iran?