The «Russian-speaking region» argument was used during the meeting on Friday
During the talks between the US and Ukraine on Friday, the envoy Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff insisted on transferring part of Donetsk region to Russia. This was reported by the The Washington Post with reference to the participants of the meeting.
According to journalists, Vitkoff tried to convince the Ukrainian side of the «need for a political compromise», referring to the fact that «the region is dominated by the Russian-speaking population». This argument is actively used by the Kremlin to justify the occupation of Ukrainian territories.
Reaction of the Ukrainian delegation
The newspaper's sources said that the Ukrainian delegation categorically rejected any discussion of the possibility of transferring Donetsk region. Representatives of Kyiv stressed that the issue of territorial integrity is a «red line» that Ukraine will not cross under any circumstances.
«No compromises on sovereignty or territories - our position remains unchanged,» said one of the delegation members on condition of anonymity.
Context of the meeting
The talks took place after the visit of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky to Washington, where he discussed continued military support and security guarantees. For its part, the Trump administration is trying to propose its own “peace plan”, which, according to analysts, may include concessions to Moscow.
The Washington Post emphasises that Vitkoff is not an official diplomatic representative, but is part of Trump's inner circle of advisers and has influence on his political decisions.
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