According to Shuster, the Ukrainian authorities are considering the possibility of holding a referendum this spring to legitimize a potential compromise, allowing citizens to vote on an agreement that includes territorial losses.
As reported by Shuster, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president's office, held lengthy discussions with Zelensky's aides about the legal and practical conditions necessary for withdrawing Ukrainian troops from certain areas of the Donetsk region, while preventing Russian armed forces from seizing these territories.
One Ukrainian official noted that "they are indeed being inventive, looking for ways to make it acceptable to the people."
The article also emphasizes that Ukraine has effectively abandoned its demands to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian military personnel accountable for war crimes on Ukrainian soil.
Negotiations between representatives of Moscow and Kyiv took place in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, on January 23 and 24, where the parties discussed a U.S.-proposed plan for ending hostilities for the first time. According to sources, the negotiators were able to agree on some points; however, the issue of territories remains unresolved. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the only unresolved topic is Donbass, as Russia demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops, which Kyiv rejects.
