The Territory at the Heart of Russia’s War in Ukraine

Russia’s war in Ukraine is well into its fourth year, despite US President Donald Trump’s promise to end the conflict within 24 hours of his return to office in January.

He had warned of “very severe consequences” if Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t agree to a ceasefire at their Aug. 15 summit in Alaska. In the end, a truce wasn’t secured, further punitive measures didn’t materialize, and Trump shifted to align with Putin’s position to proceed directly to a peace agreement without an interim ceasefire.