Russia is demanding new territorial concessions from Ukraine, according to ISW.

Russia demands new territorial concessions from Ukraine, – ISW

The Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, stated during a Security Council meeting on February 17 that Ukraine has "irretrievably lost" territories occupied by Russia and must concede more of its regions.

This was reported by ISW.

According to Nebenzya, Crimea, along with the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, has supposedly "forever" become part of Russia. He also claimed that Ukraine should agree to revise its territorial borders in peace negotiations, ceding territories in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions currently controlled by Kyiv to Russia.

Additionally, Nebenzya noted that future Ukraine should become a neutral state, without membership in military alliances and without the right to join security blocs.

On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed any possibility of territorial concessions from Russia.

"His statement reflects the previous demand of the ruler of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, who in June 2024 stated that Ukraine must withdraw its troops and transfer to Russia any unoccupied territories in the specified four regions," analysts reported.

Key findings from ISW on February 17:

• The Kremlin reiterated its demands for Ukraine to hand over additional territories in eastern and southern Ukraine and to disband Ukrainian troops in the future, continuing to assert that the Kremlin is unwilling to make territorial concessions in any future peace negotiations.
• Lavrov and Nebenzya also categorically rejected European involvement in future peace talks, accusing European countries of an aggressive stance towards Russia.
• It appears that the Kremlin is also reverting to previous demands from Putin and information operations aimed at delegitimizing Ukraine and its government in the eyes of the West—particularly ahead of the bilateral meeting between Russia and the USA on February 18 in Saudi Arabia.
• One of the members of the inner circle of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, who was considered a likely negotiator, is not included in the Russian delegation participating in the Russian-American talks in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) on February 18.
• Ukrainian forces continue to strike Russian energy facilities that support the Russian army using drones.
• The Russian command continues to issue orders for the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war at the front lines.
• Unidentified sources informed Bloomberg that Russia seems to be nearing an agreement with the Syrian interim government to maintain a "reduced" military presence in Syria.
• Russian troops have advanced near Toretsk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhovo, and Velyka Novosilka.
• Russian occupation authorities continue to violate the Geneva Convention by calling upon the civilian population of occupied Ukraine to serve in the Russian army.