After President Trump announced that he would meet with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia on Friday, the American leader suggested that the end of the war would involve “some swapping of territories” between Russia and Ukraine.
It is not clear what, if any, occupied territory Russia would be prepared to give up as part of a swap. But Moscow wants Ukraine to unilaterally withdraw from the entire eastern region known as the Donbas, according to European officials who have spoken with Trump administration officials about their discussions with Mr. Putin.
Ukrainian officials say they will not hand over land for a vague promise of peace that they would not trust Russia to abide by. That stance reflects not just fundamental principles of territorial sovereignty, but also military, humanitarian and political considerations that make a surrender of the Donbas hard to imagine for Ukrainians.
Here is a look at the Donbas, whose industrial cities have stood as a shield protecting Ukraine, one that thousands of Ukrainians have fought and died to sustain.
Military Significance
The Donbas region shaped some of the most brutal battles of World War II and continues to define the fiercely contested front today.
In the current war, in places like Bakhmut and Avdiivka, Ukrainians held the line for years, forcing the Russians to pay a high price for every mile they moved forward. The two cities are the only major ones that the Russians have taken since the first year of the war.
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The post Why Surrendering a Key Eastern Region Would Be Hard for Ukraine appeared first on New York Times.
