The article discusses the concept of territorial concessions in the context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the United States‘ role in this situation. Here are some key points from the article:
* **Russian and Ukrainian stances**: Both countries have clear positions on territorial concessions, which are incompatible.
* **US stance**: The US demand for territorial concessions is less explicit. Former President Joe Biden has ruled out handing land to Russia, but the current administration’s approach under President Trump has been more transactional.
* **Trump’s approach**: Trump reportedly wants Ukraine to make territorial concessions before resuming military aid and intelligence sharing. However, he hasn’t specified what this could look like.
* **Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson**: The Ukrainian government has not received any official proposals for territorial concessions from the US.
* **Zelensky’s call for clarity**: Ukrainian President Zelensky has called for more clarity on the US position regarding military aid and territorial concessions.
* **ISW expert analysis**: A source in Zelensky’s office responded to a question about what the Ukraine team expected to learn: “Finally hearing what the Americans want from the negotiations.”
* **Principled model**: The US has a principled model for dealing with wars of conquest, which includes non-recognition of occupied territory. However, it is unclear whether the US would follow this model in the case of Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian land.
* **Welles Declaration**: After the Soviet army invaded and occupied the Baltic States in 1940, Acting U.S. Secretary of State Sumner Welles issued a diplomatic statement known as the Welles Declaration, which condemned the Soviet Union‘s invasion and refused to recognize the Soviet-declared annexation of this territory.
* **Concessions for negotiations**: Ukraine has offered some concessions to get to the negotiating table (concessions on territorial integrity) whereas the Russian side has not budged at all, and demands territorial concessions on lands that Russian forces haven’t occupied on the battlefield.