Kremlin: Kyiv Must Withdraw Troops from Donbas

The Kremlin stated that Ukraine should withdraw its troops from the part of Donbas that it continues to control. This announcement comes shortly before a scheduled phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, there are currently no discussions for a phone call between Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Russia controls a significant portion of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, most of Donbas, as well as areas in the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Accurate estimates of the percentage of Ukrainian territory under Russian control vary, but the Russian side estimates it at around one-fifth. Putin and Trump had already held a phone conversation yesterday, before Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy. This suggests an effort to maintain communication channels between the two leaders despite ongoing tensions in Ukraine. The demand for the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas reiterates a long-standing Russian position, which argues that Ukraine must respect the rights of pro-Russian populations in the region. The situation in Donbas remains fragile, with frequent violations of the ceasefire.