Recently, when Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump met in Alaska, their three-hour meeting mainly focused on finding a possible agreement on the Ukraine conflict. During the meeting, Putin publicly said that the talks could lead to a peace deal between the two countries. However, he did not share the exact terms. For now, Russia wants Ukraine to completely withdraw from the Donbas region. In return, Moscow is ready to stop the war. But what exactly is Donbas, and why is it so important to Putin?
What is Donbas?
Putin has often highlighted the importance of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, together known as Donbas. According to him, Donbas has deep historical ties with Russia and is part of its Soviet-era legacy. Legally, however, Donbas is recognized as part of Ukraine.
The region has a unique identity but shares strong similarities with Russia in language and culture. Since the early 19th century and throughout the Soviet era, Donbas has been an industrial hub, rich in natural resources, making it strategically and economically significant.
Why Donbas is important?
Donbas, located in eastern Ukraine, is a major industrial hub. Most of the population there speaks Russian and is often seen as pro-Russia. This is why, ever since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Donbas has remained at the center of tensions. Since then, pro-Russian rebels in the region have been active and even declared themselves independent from Ukraine.
Why Ukraine stands to lose big
Russia claims that the people of Donbas do not see themselves as part of Ukraine and says it has a duty to protect them. But Ukraine and Western nations see this as Russia’s attempt to expand its territory.
The Donbas region represents as an important economic and strategic asset for Ukraine, serving as a major center for coal mining and heavy industry. If Russia achieve full control over Donbas, Ukraine would likely suffer substantial economic setbacks and lose on strategic leverage in the area.
Trump says war will end only after Donbas is taken
Putin has made it clear that Russia will consider stopping the war only after gaining full control of Donbas. This shows that capturing the region is Russia’s top priority. At present, Russia controls a large part of Donbas, but the entire region is not yet under its command.
Since the start of the war, millions of people have been displaced and thousands have lost their lives. Western countries continue to send weapons and aid to Ukraine to help it fight back. Meanwhile, Russia insists that its “special military operation” will continue until Donbas is completely under its control.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Donbas, short for Donets Coal Basin, is Ukraine’s main industrial hub, covering the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
- The area is rich in coal reserves, which once powered much of Ukraine’s energy supply and steel industry.
- Putin has proposed freezing the fighting in other areas if Ukraine agrees to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk, the two regions that make up Donbas.
- Donbas holds over 56% of Ukraine’s hard coal reserves, valued at around USD 12 trillion, making it one of the largest coal reserves in the world.
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