According to a report by The Moscow Times, during negotiations held in Saudi Arabia between the US and Russia, the Russian delegation demanded full control over four regions in Ukraine — Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, Tengrinews.kz reported.
Although Russia has not fully occupied these regions, the Kremlin is striving to acquire them within administrative borders according to its constitution. Sources close to the Kremlin have emphasized that Putin cannot politically afford to lose these territories.
According to sources, Russia expects Washington to pressure Kyiv to withdraw its troops stationed there. Otherwise, negotiations will continue, and a military plan to seize the territories will be activated.
As an alternative, Russia may propose to occupy another Ukrainian region, such as Dnipropetrovsk or Sumy, and exchange it for Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
As of February 2024, Russia controls the following percentages of the territories: Luhansk — 98.6%, Donetsk — 62.6%, Zaporizhzhia — 71.9%, Kherson — 69.3%. However, the city centers of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are not under Russian control.
Israeli military analyst David Sharp points out that seizing these territories by military means is an extremely difficult task for Russia. According to him, significant changes in the army are necessary to cross the Dnieper and capture the cities.
According to Russian diplomats, it is not important for the Trump administration which specific territories pass to Russia — it wants to see a modern, armed, pro-Western Ukraine.
On March 24, negotiations lasting over 12 hours took place between Russian and US delegations in Riyadh. The meeting was held in a closed format at the Ritz-Carlton hotel. The discussions included a temporary ceasefire regarding security and energy facilities in the Black Sea. The parties will announce a joint statement on March 25, Tuesday.
