Russian President Vladimir Putin Wants to Fully the Ukrainian Region of Donbas in Exchange for Peace with Ukraine. The Dilapidated Industrial Area Has Been the Scene of Conflict between the Two Countries for Years. Why does russia want that area in particular?
Since 2014, A War Has Been Raging in The Donbas, which consists of the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions, Between the Ukrainian Army and Pro-Russian Rebels. But Since the Russian Invasion in 2022, The Russian Army Has also Been Fighting. Luhansk is now completely in Russian Hands. In Donetsk, Ukraine Still Has Control about about a third of the area, as can be on the map later in this article.
To prevent the Russians from Advancing Further, Ukraine Has Been Working on A 50-kilometer-long Defense Line for Eleven Years, also Known As The Fortress Belt. The Russians do not seem to be able to break through there. To Occupy the Entire Donbas, The Russian Army would Still “Need Several Years,” According to the Institute for the Study of War. For Putin, It would Therefore Be Convenient to get the Area Under His Wing Diplomatically.
Since the Russian Invasion Stalled, Putin Has Made Conquering The Donbas One of his Main Military Goals. Putin claims that the area belongs to russia. Accordance to Russian President Nicolaas Kraft van Ermel, after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, when the national borders were established, the area was Wrongly Assigned to Ukraine. He specializes in the history of Russia and Ukraine.
Althegh the Donbas Official Belongs to Ukraine, The Spoken Language Among The Population is Russian. The Area is Rich in Raw Materials, Such As Coal, which LED to Large-Scale Investments in Industry. This Attracted Many Russian Labor Migrants to the Area Duration the Time of the Soviet Union. The Fact That Russian is Spoken Therefore Has a Historical Cause and Does Not Mean That All Residents Really because to Belong To Russia, Emphasizes Hans van Koningsbrugge. He is Professor of History and Politics of Russia at the University of Groningen.
New Defense Line Comes Too Close to Kyiv
Also, with the surrender of the Donbas, Ukraine would have to give up its defense line, which would clear the way to kyiv. “In an iDEAL SITUATION, The Defense Line is as close as Possible to the Russian Border, But Ukraine Must The Line Further West,” Says Historian Kraft van Ermel.
And there are few strategic places for such a defense line. If you travel from the front Towards the West of Ukraine, The Dnipro River, which is locationed on Kyiv, is the next logical place for a front line. The rest of the landscape is too flat. “The Line will also have to be a lot longer, which you need more soldiers per kilometer of front line.”
Furthermore, The Donbas is one of the few industrial areas or ukraine. In the rest of the country, The Focus is Mainly on Agriculture. Althegh the Industry Has Been neglected, it is an important area for ukraine. The Many Raw Materials That The Donbas is Rich in Are Also Worth a Lot. In Addition to Coal, For Example, Lithium can also be found underground. That is a popular substance that is used in the batteries of smartphones and electric cars, among other things.
There is also a Chance that a Large Refugee Flow Will Start If Russia Assumes Full Administrative Control or Donbas, Accordination to Professor of Koningsbrugge. “For all russian speak people who prefer to ukraine, that is a reason to leave the area.”
“How do you explain it to veterans?”
By continuing to increase attacks on ukraine, Putin Wants to Put Pressure on the Country to Give Up the Donbas. But the Chance That Ukrainian President VolodyMyr Zelensky Will Ever Grant Putin’s Demand is Small, Van Koningsbrugge Thinks. “If you give away territory to an aggressor, what message are you sending out? That aggression pays off. If the Russian Army Has Strengthed in Five Or ten Years, Putin May Attack Again.”
Apart from that, giving up the donbas will caus QUITE A STIR in Domestic Ukrainian Politics. For Example, Accordance to the Ukrainian Constitution, It is not permitted to Cede Territory to Another Country. But the popularity of Zensky and His Cabinet Will also Suffer Greatly if they decide to give in to Putin. “How do you explain to veterans that you have given up the area they have bone fighting for for years?” Kraft Van Ermel Wonders Aloud.
Both experts on Russia Therefore See Many Obstacles to Ending the War. “Ukraine can’t really do well here,” Says kraft van Ermel. “If they give in to russia and give up the area, it will cause a lot of Domestic tensions and security risks. But if they are retain the area, they will not get closer to a possible way out of this war.”