In recent discussions surrounding Ukraine’s territorial integrity, President Donald Trump highlighted a map showing areas of Ukraine under Russian occupation during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. This map clearly indicated that approximately one-fifth of Ukrainian territory is currently occupied by Russia. Trump reiterated the substantial loss of land to Russian forces and suggested that Ukraine might need to consider a territorial compromise with Russia.
Zelensky, who brought his own map to the meeting, stated that he was actively addressing territorial control issues during their dialogue. He conveyed concerns regarding the percentage of territory under Russian occupation, noting that estimates indicate significant control in regions such as Luhansk and Donetsk, with varying degrees of control in others. Analyses by the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War and Ukrainian researchers support these figures, though some discrepancies exist regarding methodologies for assessing control.
Despite Russian advances in specific areas, such as the Kharkiv region, the broader front line has seen limited shifts since the beginning of the conflict in 2014. Analysts have pointed out that capturing the entirety of the Donetsk region could take multiple years, indicating the complexity of the situation. While Zelensky noted that Russia has gained a small percentage of Ukrainian territory in recent times, he emphasized the resilience of Ukrainian-controlled regions.
In the discussions, Zelensky expressed his commitment to reclaiming lost territories, even amidst differing perspectives on the situation from U.S. and Ukrainian viewpoints. Current assessments suggest that Russia continues to solidify its forces in occupied regions, leading to a challenging environment for Ukrainian military operations. The ongoing dynamics of territorial control remain a focal point in both diplomatic and military engagements between the two nations.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjeynw8jppdo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss