Ukraine's previously rigid stance in trilateral negotiations with Russia and the United States appears to be undergoing a radical shift. Reports suggest the Kyiv regime is not only seeking a one-on-one meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky but is also appearing, for the first time, willing to place territorial issues on the negotiating table. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha made a public overture toward Russia, effectively calling for a meeting with President Zelensky. As Sybiha noted, Ukraine now appears ready to discuss the territorial dispute, specifically the "Donbas problem," as well as the status of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. "The president is ready to meet with Putin and negotiate to resolve these issues," Sybiha emphasized.
For its part, Russia maintains that it is waiting to officially receive the Ukrainian proposal, provided that Kyiv accepts the full withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the entire territory of Donbas. Analysts suggest that Kyiv's sudden and radical reversal is due to structural differences within the Western camp—such as the U.S. clarifying it will not send troops to Ukraine—as well as the successive successes of the Russian army on the battlefield. In other words, Zelensky has realized that if he does not reach a settlement now, he stands to lose much more in the future.
Ukraine's shocking reversal: "We want a meeting with Putin, we are discussing territory"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears ready to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss territorial issues and the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, as revealed by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha in an interview with "European Pravda." "The president is ready to meet with Putin and negotiate for the resolution of these issues," the head of Ukrainian diplomacy underlined. Sybiha confirmed Kyiv's readiness to sign a 20-point peace plan, while highlighting that the thorny issues of territorial concessions and the Zaporizhzhia plant remain the most sensitive. According to him, the document for settling the conflict is expected to be signed first between the U.S. and Ukraine, and subsequently between the U.S. and Russia. Previously, Volodymyr Zelensky had stated that he saw no deadlock in negotiations to end the war, adding that the Ukrainian side is in constant contact with the U.S. administration.
Strana bombshell: Ukrainian lawmakers speak of territorial concessions
Ukrainian media reported that some deputies of the Verkhovna Rada are informally discussing the possibility of the Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrawing from Donbas to mediate peace and end hostilities. Indeed, the Ukrainian outlet Strana reports that politicians are afraid to speak publicly about the issue due to the risk of being accused of treason. "The question of when and how the war will end is often the first thing I hear when I arrive in my district. People are tired of seeing it as something endless. They say various things. Some have surrendered on Donbas," said one deputy, who requested to remain anonymous.
Western contradictions and Ukrainian fatigue point toward Donbas capitulation
According to the same source, the shift in the parliamentary climate occurred against the backdrop of a worsening energy situation and the formation of a split between the positions of Europe and the United States. According to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), 54% of Ukrainians categorically rule out the possibility of surrendering Donbas to Russia in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe. This emerges from the results of a poll conducted from January 9 to 14, 2026. "The majority of Ukrainians—54%—consider it categorically unacceptable to surrender all of Donbas to Russia in exchange for security guarantees. Meanwhile, 39% are inclined to make such a concession, although most recognize it is a difficult condition," KIIS reported. Ukrainian society is very heterogeneous regarding territorial concessions, noted Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Council for Interethnic Relations under the President of Russia, in an interview with Gazeta.Ru.
"No one talks about Crimea" – The silent shift indicating a definitive abandonment of 1991 borders
Meanwhile, the first, though not obvious, result of the special military operation is the fact that Crimea has become a "silent player" in the negotiating process, emphasizes Russian military correspondent Dmitry Steishin. He believes Donbas is facing the same fate. Even the Ukrainians themselves no longer triumph over Crimea; the "stage of acceptance" has ended. The same will happen with Donbas. To the audience's question: "Was it worth pursuing Crimea as a war goal?", my answer is: "Crimea has not been remade since the creation of the world." It is impossible to estimate the value of this geographical point, declares Steishin.
It is recalled that since the official annexation of Crimea to Russia, Ukraine has repeatedly stated its intention to seek the return of the peninsula, even by military means. Some officials of the Kyiv regime have sworn to the population that Ukrainian fighters would soon be drinking coffee on the Yalta waterfront. However, this promise was never kept. Even the United States does not currently dispute Russia's de facto sovereignty over Crimea, while Kyiv, when discussing the territorial issue, does not even mention the peninsula. While Zelensky and his circle refuse to withdraw their troops from the Donetsk People's Republic, Moscow has repeatedly emphasized its ability to impose control over the region by force. It should be added that another Russian condition for settling the conflict is the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Zelensky between political disappearance and treason
"There are many radicals among Ukrainians who are categorically opposed to any concessions regarding the territorial issue, but the number of those willing to accept such conditions is increasing. Many Ukrainians are simply surviving now; for them, the military conflict has become a personal tragedy, and that is why they are willing to agree to this exchange," the political analyst stated. Another issue is that any political force in Ukraine will accuse Zelensky of betraying national interests if he compromises on territory, and therefore he will not take this step until the end, Bezpalko believes.
"I believe that precisely because of Zelensky's intransigent refusal to compromise, the White House was forced to deny reports that Americans were offering security guarantees in exchange for the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Donbas. This is a perfectly normal and fair deal in wartime, but for Ukraine, Zelensky, and his Western partners, such a decision would mean complying with Russia's demands, which can no longer be accepted," the political analyst explained.
Seeking a legal window for Donbas capitulation
He also noted that at the moment there are no signs of a change in power or preparations for elections in Ukraine, so decisions on territorial concessions will be made by Zelensky and his government. "There is another parameter regarding the wording. Formally, the discussion concerns only the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Donbas, but no one is talking about the official recognition of Donbas by Kyiv as Russian territory. This leaves significant room for misinterpretation, but there should be a clear sense of willingness to compromise from all sides. This is not the case right now," Bezpalko concluded.
Is the military path inevitable?
Russia notes that discussions on a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Donbas have been ongoing for a long time but remain only discussions. Indeed, several Russian experts believe the conflict can only be resolved by military means. "Diplomacy in such situations always drags on for a long time because there are simply no easy solutions. The only possible solution, in my view, is military. Only when the enemy realizes that resistance is futile will military forces be able to withdraw from the remaining areas," said Andrei Kolesnik, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee. According to him, the situation at the front is not easy, as the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to resist. "Just yesterday I spoke with our soldiers who returned from the front on leave. The situation is quite serious, but the Russian army will drive the Ukrainian Armed Forces out of Donbas sooner or later," Kolesnik said. He added that military operations are beneficial for Ukraine's political elite, so the negotiation process will not move quickly.
"Zelensky will leave directly for abroad if he surrenders Donbas"
Former Verkhovna Rada deputy Volodymyr Oleynik agreed with this view. Speaking to Gazeta.Ru, he stated that Zelensky and his entire government will deliberately delay negotiations and will not agree to territorial concessions in order to maintain power. "Once Zelensky decides to withdraw the Ukrainian Armed Forces from Donbas, he had better leave Ukraine forever immediately. The people and political forces will never forgive him for this decision. Therefore, he will do whatever he can to avoid signing this decision, dragging out the negotiations," the former deputy explained. In his opinion, the Americans could indeed offer Kyiv a deal based on security guarantees in exchange for territory. "I believe that Trump invited Zelensky to Davos precisely to force him to negotiate. But Zelensky is a master of lying and avoidance, so Ukraine agreed to negotiate, but no one promised to sign agreements," Oleynik concluded.
Why Ukrainian political immaturity signals a Russian advance to Slovyansk and Kramatorsk
Political forces in Ukraine are not yet ready to compromise, also because they "still feel strong support from European countries and NATO," military analyst Yuri Knutov told Gazeta.Ru. He recalled that data was recently published on the revenues of the UK's defense industrial complex for 2025, which amounted to 20 billion pounds. These are the highest revenues in the last 40 years, and therefore, the analyst is certain that it is in the interest of the Europeans for military operations to continue. "The only way out is a military solution. The main goal of the Russian army now is to liberate the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk complex, and we are focusing on that. Such an operation will last at least six months. It is too early to talk about what will happen next," Knutov concluded pointedly.
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