The Kremlin announces the fall of Pokrovsk ahead of the visit by Trump's envoys
Russian analysts see it as unlikely that Putin will endorse the US peace plan for Ukraine.
MoscowVladimir Putin has repeated the scene. Two weeks ago, when discussions began on the US peace plan for Ukraine, announced the conquest of KupianskIn the last few hours, just before receiving Donald Trump's emissaries, his generals informed him about the alleged occupation of Pokrovsk, a Ukrainian defensive stronghold in Donetsk, and Vovchansk, in Kharkiv. However, Kyiv denies this, and no independent military analyst confirms it.
Pokrovsk, a former railway hub that, before the Russian siege, was a key supply point for the eastern front, has become an obsession for Russia in recent months, which needs a symbolic victory before the end of the year. Its troops have been fighting near this town for almost a year and a half, and According to experts, it is a matter of weeks before it ends up completely under Moscow's control.However, its strategic importance is limited. While it would allow Russian troops to advance north toward the last major cities in Donbas, its capture is unlikely to radically change the situation on the front. As for Vovchansk, in the northeast, its control would allow Kremlin soldiers to advance toward Donetsk from the north. The Russian president's latest appearance in a commanding position, in the presence of the Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerassimov, is intended to influence the visit to Moscow this Tuesday by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Putin has already warned that if Ukraine does not withdraw from Donbas, including the territories it still controls, he will take it by force, and with this theatrical display he wants to demonstrate to the White House that the more Volodymyr Zelensky resists accepting this, the worse the agreement he will ultimately be forced to sign will be.
No high expectations of an agreement
"We're not getting our hopes up, but there's always room for a miracle," said Monday's editorial. Nezavísimaya GazetaThe newspaper, well-connected to the Kremlin, reports on the expectations for this meeting. Witkoff and Kushner will attempt the "miracle" of convincing the Russian leader to endorse the US peace plan proposal for Ukraine, previously discussed with representatives from Kyiv. Putin's advantageous position on the front lines and his declared inflexibility, especially regarding the territorial issue and security guarantees for Ukrainians, do not suggest any concessions from the Russian side. The Kremlin has agreed to discuss Trump's plan, but has already made it clear that time is needed to thoroughly analyze all the points, thus buying time to develop an even stronger hand as the talks progress. Furthermore, the initial 28-point document presented by the United States, while considered very favorable to Russia, no longer satisfied Putin. So the new text that the Americans have been discussing with Ukrainian representatives, first in Geneva and then in Florida, is unlikely to please Moscow more.
Sensitive issues for Ukraine are stuck
Zelensky also shows no willingness to compromise on sensitive issues for both sides. While not providing details, he acknowledged that there is still no agreement with Washington's envoys on where the borders should be drawn, nor on how to guarantee that Russia will not attack Ukraine again in the future.
On Monday, the Ukrainian president held a telephone conversation with Witkoff, accompanied by the French president, Emmanuel MacronAnd British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and there had been speculation that he might meet face-to-face with the US envoy in Ireland before the latter traveled to Moscow, although they ultimately did not meet. Zelensky is visiting Dublin this Tuesday for the first time since his president's resignation, coinciding with the approval of an additional aid package from the Irish government for Ukraine worth €125 million.
