Kremlin Rejects Territorial Concessions in Ukraine Peace Negotiations
Bloomberg reports that the Kremlin has abandoned considerations of returning any occupied Ukrainian territory as part of future peace negotiations. President Vladimir Putin has reportedly hardened his stance, now insisting on the full military capture of Donetsk Oblast and the establishment of permanent buffer zones in Sumy and Kharkiv. This policy shift follows the collapse of informal understandings with U.S. President Donald Trump and the implementation of new U.S. sanctions targeting major buyers of Russian oil and gas.