Russia demands new territorial concessions from Ukraine – ISW
Pravda Ukraine
Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated during a UN Security Council meeting on 17 February that Ukraine has “irrevocably lost” the territories occupied by Russia and must cede additional parts of oblasts.
Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)
Details: According to Nebenzya, Crimea and the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts have allegedly become part of Russia “forever”. He also claimed that Ukraine must agree to a revision of its territorial borders as part of peace talks by surrendering areas of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts that are currently under Kyiv’s control.
Nebenzya also emphasised that future Ukraine should become a neutral state, without membership in military alliances and without the right to join security blocs.
On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected any possibility of territorial concessions from Russia.
Quote: “Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed in June 2024 that Ukraine should withdraw its forces from and cede any unoccupied territory in Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts to Russia, and Nebenzya appears to be resurrecting this demand.” [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda doesn’t recognise Putin as president – ed.]
To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 17 February:
- The Kremlin reiterated its demands that Ukraine cede additional territory in Ukraine’s east and south to Russia and disband the Ukrainian military in the future while continuing to message that the Kremlin is unwilling to make territorial concessions itself in any future peace negotiations.
- Lavrov and Nebenzya also categorically rejected European involvement in future peace negotiations and accused European countries of being aggressive toward Russia.
- The Kremlin also appears to be resurrecting Putin’s previous demands and information operations aimed at delegitimising Ukraine and its government in the eyes of the West – notably ahead of the 18 February Russia-US bilateral meeting in Saudi Arabia.
- The Russian delegation participating in Russian-American talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 18 February does not include one of the members of Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s innermost circle who had been reported as a likely negotiator.
- Ukrainian forces continue to conduct drone strikes against Russian energy facilities supplying the Russian military.
- Russian commanders continue to give orders for Russian forces to execute Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) on the frontline.
- Unspecified sources told Bloomberg that Russia appears to be nearing a deal with the Syrian interim government to maintain a “reduced” military presence in Syria.
- Russian forces advanced near Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove and Velyka Novosilka.
- Russian occupation authorities continue to violate the Geneva Convention by conscripting civilians in occupied Ukraine to serve in the Russian military.
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