Understanding Ukraine's Donbas Region and Its Strategic Importance to Putin

As talks over a potential deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war intensify, much of the discussion has focused on a part of the country’s east that has long been at the heart of Russia's goals.

Made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Donbas is an industrial powerhouse rich in coal and metal deposits, and shaped by industrial towns and strategically important ports on the Sea of Azov.

Putin has reportedly demanded Ukrainian forces withdraw from Donbas, in exchange for a freeze along the rest of the frontline, while Zelenskyy has consistently rejected giving up any territory under Ukraine's control.

Will Donbas become one of the defining fault lines of the peace talks?

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