Ukraine rules out Donbas pullout as Russia pushes to gain ground ahead of Trump-Putin summit
KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday (Aug 12) ruled out withdrawing troops from the eastern Donbas region, rejecting what he said was a Russian proposal that would deprive Kyiv of fortified defensive lines and open the way for fresh offensives.
The White House said the Alaska meeting would be “a listening exercise” for Trump, who will meet one-on-one with Putin to gain “a more firm and better understanding” of how the war might be ended. “Only one party that’s involved in this war is going to be present,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, adding that the president has “deep respect for all parties” and may meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the future.
His comments came as Russian forces made a sudden thrust near the coal mining town of Dobropillia in Donetsk, advancing up to 10km (six miles) north in two prongs in recent days, according to Ukraine’s DeepState war map. The push, one of the most dramatic in the past year, appeared aimed at gaining leverage ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday.
Zelenskiy said Moscow’s offer was to halt advances in other Ukrainian regions in exchange for Kyiv pulling back from Donbas, which comprises Donetsk and Luhansk. Ukraine still controls about 30 per cent of Donetsk, some 9,000 square kilometres, and holds strategic high ground there.
“Putin will have an open way to both Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions. Also for Kharkiv,” Zelenskiy said. “The territorial issue cannot be separated from security guarantees.” He stressed that any talks on territory must follow a ceasefire agreement, with Ukraine directly involved in the negotiations.
Trump has previously suggested an exchange of territory might be part of any peace deal, a proposal Zelenskiy says Ukraine’s constitution prohibits.
RUSSIAN PRESSURE TACTICS
DeepState said Russian troops had surged forward near three villages on the Kostyantynivka and Pokrovsk axis, exploiting gaps in Ukraine’s defences. “The situation is quite chaotic, as the enemy, having found gaps in the defence, is infiltrating deeper, trying to quickly consolidate and accumulate forces for further advancement,” it said on Telegram.
Zelenskiy confirmed small Russian groups had pushed forward without heavy equipment. “Some have already been found, partly destroyed, partly captured. We will find and destroy the rest in the near future,” he said, calling the push part of Moscow’s attempt to project momentum before the US-Russia talks.
Military analyst Pasi Paroinen of the Finland-based Black Bird Group said forward Russian units had reportedly reached the Dobropillia–Kramatorsk road and infiltration groups were operating near Dobropillia itself. Others noted the tactic of sending small units to seize territory quickly, even if not held for long, made assessing the situation more difficult.
Konrad Muzyka of Rochan Consulting said the advance was the result of over a week of infiltration and positional gains.
NEGOTIATION LEVERAGE
Some analysts drew parallels with 2014 and 2015, when Russia launched major offensives ahead of talks to increase its bargaining power. Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, said the advance came amid “a partial collapse in the front” due to Ukraine’s manpower shortages and could pressure Kyiv to cede territory to avoid losing all of Donetsk.
To secure full control of the region, Russian forces would still need to capture Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka, described by Russian analysts as “fortress cities”.
Zelenskiy has repeatedly pushed back against any land-for-peace proposals, insisting that any settlement must be “just” and include binding security guarantees for Ukraine.
