‘Liberate These Territories by Force’: Putin Reasserts Russian Claim on Entire Donbas Region of Ukraine

Latest Developments

• Putin Warns Ukrainian Troops To Withdraw: Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled on December 4 that he would not compromise on his demands for Ukrainian territory, warning Ukraine’s armed forces to withdraw from parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region that Russia does not currently control. “Either we liberate these territories by force, or Ukrainian troops will leave these territories,” Putin asserted in the wake of his December 2 meeting with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to discuss a U.S.-proposed draft peace plan. On December 5, the Kremlin stated that Russia and the United States were “making progress” in the peace negotiations, adding that Russia was waiting for “the reaction of our American colleagues.”
• Witkoff Briefs Ukrainian Official on Moscow Talks: After returning from Moscow, Witkoff met in Miami with the head of Ukraine’s national security council, Rustem Umerov, to brief him on the discussions with Putin. Alluding to the Witkoff-Umerov meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, “Our task now is to obtain full information about what was said in Moscow and what other pretexts Putin has come up with to drag out the war and to pressure Ukraine.”
• European Leaders Urge Belgium To Release Hold on Russian Assets: German Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled to Brussels, where he and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen aimed to persuade Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever to back a reparations loan proposal for Ukraine that would use frozen Russian Central Bank assets held on Belgian soil. De Wever has opposed the proposal, citing concerns that Belgium could be liable to repay that money if Russia were to win a legal challenge and requesting a guarantee that EU countries will cover costs arising from any Russian lawsuits. Meanwhile, U.S. officials are reportedly lobbying European countries against supporting the loan, arguing that the Russian assets are needed to help secure a peace deal.

FDD Exert Response

“Russia should never see a dime of its frozen assets. That money must instead be used for Ukraine’s wartime and reconstruction needs. Washington should support the European Union’s ‘Reparations Loan’ plan for Ukraine, not lobby against it. Leaving Kyiv unable to fund its war effort in 2026 would hardly make the Kremlin more willing to compromise. And U.S. officials certainly should not make Moscow any asset-related promises they lack the power to keep.” — John Hardie, Russia Program Deputy Director

“If Europe is serious about ending the war in Ukraine, it needs to seize the frozen Russian assets and provide them to Ukraine. Doing so will send a signal to Putin that Europe is ready and willing to stop his aggression. Russia will not stop its aggression unless it incurs costs. The United States should not fear a breakdown in negotiations if the assets are loaned to Ukraine. Rather, it may encourage Putin to get serious about negotiations if the assets of many of his oligarch supporters are on the line.” — Ivana Stradner, Research Fellow

FDD Background and Analysis

“Putin Resistant to Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan During Meeting With Witkoff and Kushner,” FDD Flash Brief

“Russia Continues Deadly Attacks on Ukraine Ahead of Witkoff Visit as Zelenskyy Looks to European Allies,” FDD Flash Brief

“Putin Aide Says ‘Serious Analysis’ Needed of New Trump Proposal To End Russian War on Ukraine,” FDD Flash Brief

“Fixing Putin’s plan,” by Clifford D. May