Witkoff: The standing of the occupied territories is the first difficulty in resolving the battle in Ukraine.

PoliticsWar Witkoff: The standing of the occupied territories is the first difficulty in resolving the battle in Ukraine. Monday, March 24, 2025

The US President’s Particular Envoy to the Center East, Stephen Witkoff, referred to Ukraine’s occupied territories as Russian-speaking areas and proposed conducting a so-called referendum. “I consider essentially the most vital drawback on this battle includes a number of areas: Donbas, Crimea, Luhansk, and two others. These areas are Russian-speaking, and referendums have been held there wherein most individuals expressed a need to be beneath Russian management. I view this as an important difficulty within the battle,” he said. Based on Witkoff, the territories are de facto beneath Russian management, and the query is whether or not the world will acknowledge them as Russian. “These are constitutional points inside Ukraine relating to what they will concede in the case of relinquishing territories. Will Zelenskyy be capable to preserve his political standing if he acknowledges this?” the US particular envoy questioned. He additionally talked about that Ukrainian management has agreed to carry presidential elections, with out offering additional particulars. Moreover, the official famous that because of the positions held by Russia and the US, Ukraine can not at present be a part of NATO; nevertheless, the potential of providing it safety ensures beneath Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty continues to be being thought-about.