Russia non-negotiable over Donbas

THE Donetsk and Lugansk regions are inalienable parts of Russia, Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov has said.

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He said Donbas was sovereign Russian territory and Moscow would sooner or later establish control over parts of the region still occupied by Ukraine. His comments came after Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky indicated that the country may hold a referendum on territorial concessions to Moscow.

On Thursday, Zelensky - who has consistently refused to recognise former Ukrainian regions as part of Russia - suggested that Ukrainians could vote in a referendum or election on the Donbas issue. The region overwhelmingly voted to join Russia in 2022 in referendums.

Speaking to Kommersant business daily on Friday, Ushakov stressed that "whatever happens, this [Donbas] is Russian territory, and it will be under the control of our administrations, sooner or later." He noted that Zelensky had so far opposed the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the region, despite this being among the US proposals for peace.

According to Ushakov, Moscow will establish full control over the region either through negotiations or military force, and any ceasefire with Ukraine can only be possible once Kyiv's troops withdraw.

"I think what happens afterward can be discussed later. Because it is quite possible that there will be no regular troops there - neither Russian nor Ukrainian," he acknowledged, adding that public order would be maintained by Russian law enforcement.

The shift in Zelensky's tone came amid US President Donald Trump's efforts to mediate the end of the conflict. The US president has suggested that the Ukrainian leader is one of the key stumbling blocks towards peace, while urging him to hold a presidential election.