Russia weighs halt to peace talks unless Ukraine cedes land

"Russian officials increasingly consider there's no point to continue U.S.-led peace talks with Ukraine unless Kyiv is willing to cede territory to reach a deal, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Talks planned for next week will be decisive in whether or not the sides can agree on terms to end the war."

"Russia is ready to sign a draft memorandum for a peace accord if Ukraine agrees to withdraw from its eastern Donetsk region, one of the people said. That would be followed quickly by a presidential summit between Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump and Zelenskyy to confirm the deal, triggering a mutual pullback of the Russian and Ukrainian armies."

"Zelenskyy insists that the fortified area of Donetsk still under Ukraine's control is vital for defending the country against any future Russian attack, and that Kyiv won't recognize Moscow's illegal occupation of any Ukrainian territory."

Russian officials indicate they will abandon U.S.-led peace negotiations with Ukraine unless Kyiv agrees to surrender territory in the eastern Donetsk region. Upcoming talks scheduled for early March are viewed as decisive for determining whether the conflict can be resolved. Russia has proposed a draft memorandum contingent on Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk, to be followed by a presidential summit between Putin, Trump, and Zelenskyy. Ukraine maintains that retaining control of fortified Donetsk areas is essential for national defense and refuses to recognize Russian occupation of any territory. The territorial dispute remains the most challenging obstacle to ending the five-year invasion. Trump and Zelenskyy recently discussed advancing negotiations to the leaders' level, though security concerns related to U.S.-Israeli tensions with Iran may affect timing.

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