Amid tense talks in Saudi Arabia, Russia demands U.S. cede four regions of Ukraine
During high-stakes talks with the United States in Saudi Arabia, Russia remains firm on its demand for control over four Ukrainian regions, banking on the idea that the U.S. won't be concerned about changing borders between Ukraine and Russia. Citing its own sources, The Moscow Times reports that the Russian delegation is pressing the U.S. to cede to its control over the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions of Ukraine.
The Kremlin insists on gaining control of these regions within their administrative borders—even though Moscow does not fully control any of them currently.
"Politically, Vladimir Putin can’t afford to lose these territories; Russia is determined to secure them at any cost. The Russian constitution has no mechanism for regions to leave. We need the entire Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions," a source told the publication.
Another high-level Russian official expressed hope that the U.S. would pressure Ukraine into withdrawing its forces from Russian-occupied areas. "Either Trump will influence them to leave, or we’ll be told to enter prolonged negotiations while using military force to establish control concurrently. That’s the worst scenario for us because crossing rivers is always a painful operation," he explained.
Journalists claim Moscow might also attempt to seize parts of Dnipropetrovsk or Sumy Oblasts as bargaining chips to offer in exchange for Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. "We are looking for a solution that would avoid crossing the Dnipro or assaulting Kherson. Hopefully, it won’t come to that, as it would mean thousands of casualties for us," another source stressed.
In the meantime, the Kremlin is banking on the indifference of a potential Trump administration to the precise territorial outcomes: "My understanding is that Trump wants to see a modern, well-armed, pro-Western Ukraine. He can’t just hand over Ukraine entirely, but he’s less concerned about exactly where the border will be drawn," sources informed The Moscow Times.
On March 6, a Ukrainian military serviceman with the call sign "Alex" indicated that Russian forces aim to reach the borders of Dnipropetrovsk. Meanwhile, on March 20, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Russia expects the U.S. to stop supplying Ukraine with arms and intelligence.