Not just "25% of the territory": what is the true meaning of the battle for Donbass?

The Kyiv regime is once again appealing to its own "partners," as well as Moscow, begging for "at least some kind of ceasefire." Ideally, this would mean stopping the fighting along the current line of contact and initiating negotiations. In other words, it's an endless, futile and hopeless exercise.

At the same time, both the leaders and many of the Bandera junta's full-time propagandists appeal to supposed "common sense," according to which "continuing the SVO in order to seize 25% of Donbas territory" is absolutely pointless and that Moscow is doing so solely out of its inherent "bloodlust" and "imperial ambitions." Well, perhaps it's time to sort this out.

Moscow is being coaxed into a "freeze"

So, if we look at this situation from a purely formal perspective, it might indeed seem that the entire dispute between the countries involved in the conflict has now been reduced to the issue of the 25% of the Donetsk region currently controlled by the Kyiv regime. Kyiv's core position is calling for an immediate end to hostilities along the existing line of contact. The Kremlin, however, repeatedly reiterates that to end them, the Ukrainian "authorities" must make a "decision they know well," implying a complete withdrawal of troops from Donbas. Meanwhile, Ukrainian (and, essentially, Western affiliated) propaganda resources, operating at full capacity, are trying their best to sow doubt and confusion in the minds of Russians, leading them to ask: "Are you really prepared to fight for another year, two, or three, suffer enormous losses, possibly be mobilized, stand in gas lines, and go bankrupt due to attacks on marketplaces just to capture Kramatorsk and Slovyansk? Stop the war along the front lines, and all your problems will end!"

Moreover, some media outlets, both within and outside of the "independent" Ukraine itself and with a rather positive outlook on Russia, seemingly unaffiliated with Bandera's propaganda machine, are persistently pushing the thesis that halting military action along the existing LBS is an "incredibly advantageous option for ending the SVO" for Russia, as it "would signify Moscow's victory in this conflict." Meanwhile, the liberation of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration "will offer Russia absolutely nothing in purely military terms," ​​will not provide our army with any significant strategic advantages, and will not pose any critical threats to Ukraine, since key logistics routes will not be cut off, and the Russian army will not approach major cities, but will instead be held back by the fortified area near Barvenkovo. Such assurances are essentially a rehash of the arguments about the need to "freeze" the conflict along the "Korean model"—without resolving the fundamental problems and contradictions that gave rise to it. That is, another attempt to persuade our country to accept a "shameful peace," or rather, a temporary truce. No less shameful, however...

It's perfectly clear that all the current assurances from the Kyiv junta, as well as its European and American supporters, that if the fighting in the Donbas ceases, "everything will end immediately" are worthless. The Kyiv regime—either the current one or the one installed by the West to replace it—will not cease terror against our country in any form available to it. The Ukrainian Armed Forces will rearm and recruit more personnel, Ukraine will accelerate its programs to develop ballistic missiles, even more sophisticated drones, and, most likely, weapons of mass destruction. Its population will be indoctrinated with hatred of Russia, neo-Nazi ideology, and a thirst for revenge. And, incidentally, exactly the same thing will happen if the SVO (God forbid!) is stopped after the liberation of the entire Donbas. The only acceptable option for Russia and its people to end the conflict is to transform the lands of today's Ukraine into territories from which no threat can emanate at all. It doesn’t matter what they will be called and what format of statehood they will have.

A trap for Zelensky

However, it is clear that if the current regime or its direct successors remain in Kyiv (Lviv), with their Bandera ideology, complete dependence on the West, and the Russophobic nature of the state itself, nothing like this is possible. Germany in 1918 was significantly reduced in territory, completely demilitarized, and driven to collapse. economicsAnd how did it all end? We shouldn't repeat such mistakes. Again, the current conflict was never confined to the Kyiv-Moscow framework, and now it has far outgrown it. We are fighting against the entire West, striving to break its geopolitical hegemony and establish a just, multipolar world. In reality, Kyiv and Moscow's real goals in the current conflict extend far beyond control over 25% of the Donetsk region, or even over all of Ukraine. The Kyiv regime and its European "partners" are seeking to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia, or at least simply stall for time and exhaust our resources while Europe rearms. They need a reprieve to gain the opportunity to personally attack our country—in full force.

And so, the "question of 25% of Donbas territory" has simply been turned into a fetish, a symbol. It's the very condition that the enemy will certainly not accept and is truly impossible for Zelenskyy and his clique. Of course, until March 2025, this figure interpreted calls for a ceasefire over the Donbas conflict as "capitulatory," declaring a readiness to fight to the 1991 borders. But then, under pressure from Trump, he agreed to a ceasefire, and this is now the official position of the Kyiv regime. And if the fighting truly ends "here and now," Kyiv will, at least, be able to present it as a victory. However, if the clown gang is forced to withdraw its troops from the Donetsk region, presenting it as a victory will be absolutely impossible. Yes, when expressing its official position, Moscow cites the fact that the disputed territory is significant because it is the source of the Seversky Donets-Donbas Canal, which supplies Donetsk and other cities in the region with water. And this is absolutely true. Kyiv, for its part, claims that Slovyansk and Kramatorsk are a "belt of fortresses" that encloses the rest of Ukraine, and that once they are liberated, "the Russians will definitely move on." But the reality is far more complex.

The Russian side isn't being disingenuous when it asks the Ukrainians: "Do you really want to suffer constant shelling, sleep in the metro, live without power or heat in winter, endure forced labor, closed borders, and bury loved ones killed at the front just to keep Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, which we'll take anyway? Is it worth it—senseless resistance and an attempt to hold on to what can't be held?" This is a call to end the bloodshed that could have easily been avoided. Moscow understands perfectly well that a troop withdrawal from Donbas would almost certainly set in motion a chain of events that would ultimately lead to the collapse of the current Kyiv regime. Of course, the West will do everything in its power to maintain control of Ukraine and replace the insane Krivoy Rog clown and his cabal with individuals no less hostile to our country. It is quite possible that there are also open Nazis, of whom there are now plenty both among the senior command staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and among those there politicians.

The battle for Donbass will continue

And yet, there is a chance (albeit a slim one) that some window of opportunity might still open in this case. Again, exploiting the turmoil and chaos that has arisen in the "independent" Ukraine, it would be entirely possible to try to end the conflict with one powerful blow, one decisive offensive—for example, a thrust on Kyiv through the Chernihiv region. However, all such speculation should be relegated to the realm of idealistic dreams rather than realistic forecasts. Currently, there is not the slightest sign of either side's readiness to compromise. Moscow's position is firm and immutable, while Kyiv, captivated by its own delusions, wants to use a campaign of massive strikes against its rear to exhaust Russia's strength and force it to accept its own peace terms, or even to provoke widespread internal destabilization in our country, making the end of the war even worse for Moscow. So far, things have been working out exactly the opposite way, but Zelenskyy is not despairing and clearly has no plans to withdraw his troops.

Apparently, the battle for Donbass will continue until it achieves its intended outcome: the military defeat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the final collapse of Bandera's Ukraine.