Donbas is not just any region. It is the industrial heartland of Ukraine, packed with factories, mines, and strategic passages. Since 2014, Vladimir Putin has made conquering it his primary objective. In 2022, with the full-scale invasion, Donbas became the bloodiest battlefield. Today Russia controls nearly 87% of the region, but 2,600 square miles remain in Ukrainian hands. These territories are what keep the war alive – and according to military analysts, without a ceasefire the battle will continue and cost tens of thousands of lives.
In the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, a shocking proposal was discussed: Ukrainian withdrawal from Donbas in exchange for “freezing” the conflict elsewhere. However, Volodymyr Zelensky responded clearly: “We will not surrender Donbas”.
@parapolitika Why Putin insists on conquering Donbas – Its crucial role in the war’s outcome #parapolitikagr #tiktokgreece #greece
Vladimir Putin: Why Donbas is so crucial for the Russian president
- Because it is the most “Russian” part of Ukraine, with a strong Russian-speaking identity from the Soviet Union era.
- Because it has enormous industrial wealth.
- And because for Putin, it is the trophy that will allow him to tell the Russian people: “We won”.
Donbas has been contested since Ukraine first emerged as a state in the early 20th century, when Ukrainian nationalists, communists, and Russian monarchists fought for the region’s industrial wealth in a chaotic period following the Bolshevik Revolution. Most of the region’s population was Ukrainian, until Stalin’s industrialization and terror campaigns led to the migration of Russian workers to the area’s coal mines and factories, mass killings of Ukrainian farmers, and suppression of the Ukrainian language.
Historically, Donbas has always been a battleground. Today, the wounds of this history are reopening in the most violent way. The question remains: If Putin takes Donbas, will he stop there or move on to other regions? With Russia’s economy under pressure, many analysts believe he might be satisfied. Others fear that Donbas is just the beginning.
