The American Institute for the Study of War warns that Ukraine will lose the "belt of fortresses" that has held back the Russian army during 11 years of war if it agrees to withdraw from the Donetsk region at the request of US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Points of attention
- Russia's desire to seize the entire territory of Ukraine poses a continuous threat, making it imperative for Ukraine to hold on to its 'belt of fortresses'.
- The fortified belt in Ukraine has successfully deterred Russian encirclement attempts for over 11 years, signaling the challenges Russia may face in a prolonged conflict.
Trump's new proposal is extremely dangerous for Ukraine
According to analysts, if Ukrainian troops are forced to withdraw from the Donetsk region to supposedly “end the war,” the de facto Russian army will receive a more advantageous starting point for a future offensive into the adjacent areas of the Kharkiv or Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Experts warn that Russia has still not given up on the idea of seizing the entire territory of Ukraine, so the war will continue.
What is important to understand is that the Russian invaders failed to carry out a wide encirclement of the fortified belt of Ukraine for over 11 years.
A similar operation after three and a half years of war will likely be a multi-year effort with colossal losses for the Russian army.
