PUTIN laid his cards on the table when he declared that he wants the whole of Ukraine's Donbas region in exchange for peace.

The eastern zone, home to Ukraine's "fortress belt" , would be a valuable prize for Putin with murderous potential - and one he has sought for over a decade.

Since invading in 2022, Russia has overrun almost the entire Donbas - comprised of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

But one corner of the Donetsk region remains clinging on.

The frontline there accounts for just a fraction of the whole conflict, but suddenly the last remaining sliver of land has been thrust to the heart of the peace conversation.

At last week's Alaska summit , Putin declared he would freeze the frontline if Ukraine handed over the last remaining enclave of the Donbas.

But Kyiv has co

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