Mapping Ukraine’s frontlines and ceasefire scenarios
Kyiv has rejected ceding territory seized by Russia to secure a ceasefire.
Russia’s territorial claims since 2014
Russia began seizing Crimea in early 2014, annexing it within months. It also backed separatists in Donbas’s Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, sparking an eight-year stalemate that cost some 14,000 lives.
Full-scale invasion and shifting frontlines
In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion, briefly reaching Kyiv’s outskirts and capturing large areas in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Since then, control has fluctuated. Russia’s share of Ukrainian territory has declined from about 27% in 2022 to roughly 20% today. Its forces advance slowly in the east at high cost.
Ceasefire talks and territorial swap proposals
President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies demand an unconditional ceasefire, a stance echoed by US President Donald Trump. Ahead of his Alaska summit with President Putin, Trump has floated territorial swaps, alarming Kyiv and its partners.
Any cession would involve land recognised internationally as Ukrainian, including parts of Donetsk and Luhansk where Kyiv has resisted deadly offensives to protect cities like Kramatorsk and Slovyansk.
Reports suggest Russia seeks full control of Donetsk and Luhansk. Zelensky warns that ceding Donbas would expose Ukraine to further attacks from that staging ground.
Southern regions and the sea corridor
In Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, Moscow proposes freezing the frontlines. Trump’s remark on “oceanfront property” likely refers to Black Sea or Sea of Azov coasts, key to Russia’s land bridge to Crimea.
No credible evidence suggests Moscow will return any of these territories. Like Donetsk and Luhansk, Russia views them as sovereign Russian land following its widely condemned annexations.
For Kyiv and Europe, territorial swaps remain unacceptable. Future border discussions can only occur once hostilities end and Ukraine’s security is assured.
Ukraine rejects any land-for-ceasefire deal, insisting on full sovereignty and security guarantees before border talks.
This topic was reported by BBC.
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