A reported Russian proposal for swapping territory as a means of ending the war in Ukraine gained world attention on the eve of the Trump-Putin summit . But Moscow later clarified that it wants Kyiv to unilaterally withdraw from the 30 per cent of the Donetsk region that it still controls without any major land exchange.

What we are seeing is a classic Russian tactic of issuing a vague statement that casts itself as ready for compromise, setting the stage for a blame game against Ukraine, while demanding unreciprocated concessions.

No one should be fooled. There is a lot of dust to be cleared off this devil’s bargain.

No Ukrainian authority is empowered – no matter the president – to trade Ukrainian territories during negotiations. Under the constitution, only a referendum can settl

See Full Page