Rich People Trades
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
  • World News
  • Politics
  • Investing

Rich People Trades

Politics

Giving Putin the Donbas would hand Moscow powerful leverage over Kyiv’s financial survival

by admin August 21, 2025
August 21, 2025
Giving Putin the Donbas would hand Moscow powerful leverage over Kyiv’s financial survival

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected proposals to concede land to Russian President Vladimir Putin, particularly the hotly-contested Donbas region.

The Donbas, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, is Ukraine’s industrial heartland where coal mining and steel production are the main drivers of economic growth. Ultimately, control of the region’s mines and factories would hand Moscow powerful leverage over Kyiv’s post-war economic survival.

‘Donbas offers both a military advantage and significant economic resources, making it a high-value target for the Kremlin,’ explained Elina Beketova, a fellow with the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis.

‘The Donbas alone holds vast reserves of coal – especially anthracite, crucial for energy and metallurgy,’ Beketova said. ‘Of 114 mines in Donetsk region, only 15 remain functional,’ she pointed out, as many have been flooded, destroyed, or left inoperable by the war.

Coal tells only half the story. 

Perhaps the crown jewel is salt: the Soledar salt mines, with an estimated 4.5 billion tons of rock salt – making it the largest reserve in Europe. These mines and the Artyomsol plant, Europe’s largest salt producer, fell to Russian forces in 2022.

Beketova underscored that, in the long term, natural gas could be the most strategically important resource in the region.

‘The region includes the Yuzivka gas field in Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts, with potential reserves of up to 4 trillion cubic meters – a direct challenge to Russian energy dominance, and likely another reason why Moscow wants full control of the area.’

‘Beyond coal, salt, and gas, the occupied territories of Donbas – as well as neighboring Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – are also rich in gypsum, chalk, marble, granite, sand and clay,’ Beketova said.

Russian forces currently occupy approximately one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, primarily in the eastern and southeastern regions, including large swaths of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. These areas have been under partial or full Russian control at various points over the course of the Kremlin’s war. 

For Kyiv, the Donbas is more than contested ground – it is an economic lifeline, whose coal, salt and gas reserves could help bankroll recovery in a country already burdened with enormous post-war debts.

The most recent joint assessment by the United Nations, World Bank, European Commission, and Ukrainian government estimates that Kyiv faces $524 billion in postwar reconstruction over the next decade. 

Of the total long-term reconstruction and recovery needs, housing accounts for the largest share at nearly $84 billion, followed by $78 billion needed for the transportation industry and $68 billion for the energy sector.

Zelenskyy told reporters at the European Commission on Sunday that Putin has repeatedly tried and failed to seize the entirety of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine for a period of 12 years. 

Grace Mappes, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, noted that conceding the region would also mean relinquishing Ukraine’s ‘fortress belt,’ the fortified defensive line in Donetsk Oblast since 2014.

‘After trying and failing to occupy this strategically vital terrain for over a decade, Putin is now demanding that Ukraine concede this critical defensive position, which Russian forces currently have no means of rapidly enveloping or penetrating, apparently in exchange for nothing and with no guarantee that fighting will not resume.’

Mappes added that Ukraine’s substantial investment in reinforcing its ‘fortress belt’ with defensive structures, logistics hubs, and defense industrial facilities, underscores its central role in the country’s military resilience.

‘Putin’s proposal is not a compromise, rather a ploy to avoid the years-long, bloody campaign that would be necessary to seize the fortress belt and the rest of Donetsk militarily,’ she added.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

previous post
Duffy’s DOT accuses Biden, Buttigieg of inflating air traffic controller pipeline: ‘Juiced the numbers’
next post
Walmart boosts sales outlook as it says tariff costs are rising

Related Posts

Congress unveils spending plan after Trump calls on...

March 9, 2025

House Republicans face down Dem attacks, protests to...

May 14, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: Dems to force votes on Medicaid as...

February 21, 2025

House advances Trump’s $9.4B spending cuts package targeting...

June 12, 2025

Schumer accuses Trump of exploiting Charlie Kirk’s death...

September 19, 2025

Trump nominates Waltz for high-level post after ousting...

May 2, 2025

Gaza Humanitarian Foundation: What to know about the...

July 30, 2025

Trump kicks off whirlwind week marking his 100th...

April 28, 2025

Schumer says ‘oligarchs’ keep him up at night,...

March 19, 2025

Trump’s Justice Department order to drop charges against...

February 14, 2025

    Join our mailing list to get access to special deals, promotions, and insider information. Your exclusive benefits await! Enjoy personalized recommendations, first dibs on sales, and members-only content that makes you feel like a true VIP. Sign up now and start saving!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Editors’ Picks

    • 1

      First lady Melania Trump’s new official portrait revealed

      January 28, 2025
    • 2

      American fighters are dying in Ukraine in growing numbers. Bringing their bodies home is a complex task

      January 30, 2025
    • 3

      ECOWAS pledges to ‘keep door open’ after 3 coup-hit West African nations exit regional bloc

      January 30, 2025
    • 4

      Vale Launches Strategic Review of Thompson Nickel Operations Amid Market Challenges

      January 28, 2025
    • 5

      Europe’s busiest airport is set to get bigger, as Britain green-lights tortured Heathrow expansion project

      January 30, 2025
    • 6

      Top Altcoins to Watch in 2025: An Investor’s Guide

      January 28, 2025
    • 7

      DeepSeek is giving the world a window into Chinese censorship and information control

      January 30, 2025
    • About us
    • Contacts
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Email Whitelisting

    Disclaimer: richpeopletrades.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2025 richpeopletrades.com | All Rights Reserved