---
title: "Reuters: Putin Will Not Enter Negotiations Without Donbas Control"
description: "According to Reuters, Vladimir Putin will agree to peace talks only after seizing the remaining 11% of Donbas. The US is trying to soften Russia's stance via a diesel deal."
date: 2026-10-12T23:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/reuters-putin-will-not-negotiate-without-donbas
tags: [putin, reuters, donbas, ukraine-war, usa-diplomacy]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Reuters: Putin Will Not Enter Negotiations Without Donbas Control

![Vladimir Putin and the negotiation process regarding Donbas](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/12/reuters-putin-ne-poydet-na-peregovory-bez-donbassa/reuters-putin-ne-poydet-na-peregovory-bez-donbassa-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Putin demands the rest of Donbas to return to negotiations
- The US views the diesel deal as an instrument of influence on Russia
- Negotiations involving US emissaries took place in Miami
- Ukraine and Western allies reject any territorial ultimatums

According to the latest analytical reports by the authoritative agency Reuters, the position of the Russian leadership regarding a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine remains unchanged. Sources close to the Kremlin state that the resumption of the negotiation process will be possible exclusively after Russian troops establish control over the remaining part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Moscow views this scenario as a strategic minimum that can be presented to the domestic audience as an unconditional victory.

### Diplomatic Maneuvers and the Diesel Deal

The central focus of the Reuters investigation is information regarding implicit US diplomatic initiatives aimed at softening the Kremlin's stance. Reports indicate the preparation of a special diesel fuel deal between the United States and Russia. According to the initiators' plan, this economic step should serve as an incentive for Moscow to return to the diplomatic negotiating table and resume dialogue on a ceasefire.

### Special Envoys' Involvement and Miami Talks

Details of the potential deal and possible contours of future agreements were actively discussed at a closed meeting in Miami. According to the publication, this information was conveyed to Ukrainian officials by US administration special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. Washington's strategy purportedly involved demonstrating a readiness for compromises in hopes of reciprocal steps from the Kremlin, though the hardline demand regarding Donbas significantly complicates any diplomatic prospects.

### Contradictory Data

While Reuters sources link the diesel deal to efforts to draw Moscow into the diplomatic process, other Western and Ukrainian outlets provide somewhat different assessments of Donald Trump's team's interactions with Russian and Ukrainian politicians. In particular, publications in The New York Times and analytical summaries indicate that American emissaries have repeatedly and harshly rejected the Kremlin's territorial ultimatums, declaring them untenable a year ago. Furthermore, experts diverge in assessing the real effectiveness of economic incentives like fuel deals against the backdrop of ongoing large-scale combat operations.

### Expert Analysis and Consequences

International experts agree that the Kremlin's rigid linkage of its negotiating stance to capturing the remaining 11% of Donbas makes prospects for a swift peace unlikely. Ukraine categorically rejects any demands for the alienation of its territories, and Western allies continue to declare support for the country's territorial integrity. Thus, despite Washington's backstage attempts to find common ground through economic levers, fundamental contradictions between the conflict parties remain unresolved.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Путин не пойдет на переговоры без Донбасса, - Reuters](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/putin-pide-peregovori-donbasu-reuters-1791848103.html) - Основной источник о требованиях Кремля и позиции Reuters
- ["Говорили то самое год назад": Кушнер резко ответил Путину по Донбассу - NYT](https://glavred.info/war/govorili-to-samoe-god-nazad-kushner-rezko-otvetil-putinu-po-donbassu-nyt-10797596.html) - Контекст позиций американских эмиссаров и критики ультиматумов
- [15 дедлайнов уже провалено: раскрыт новый план Путина по Донбассу](https://glavred.info/analytics/15-dedlaynov-uzhe-provaleno-raskryt-novyy-plan-putina-po-donbassu-10795913.html) - Контекст позиций американских эмиссаров и критики ультиматумов

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Under what condition is Putin ready to return to negotiations?
**A:** According to Reuters sources, Putin will return to negotiations only after acquiring the remaining part of Donbas under Russian control.

### Q: What role do the US play in the diplomatic process?
**A:** US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed initiatives with the Ukrainian side, including a potential diesel fuel deal to bring Russia back to dialogue.