Ukraine proposes renaming Donbas in honor of Trump – NYT
Photo: Donald Trump (Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump becomes a figure around whom Ukrainian parliamentarians propose an unusual concept of a territorial settlement, provisionally called Donnyland, according to The New York Times.
Political naming in international projects
The idea of using Trump’s name in geopolitical initiatives is not new. Earlier, in Poland, there were discussions about locating a US military base under the name Fort Trump, and during the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process, a transport corridor associated with his name also appeared.
How Donnyland appeared
According to sources, Ukrainian negotiators, during discussions about the situation in Donbas, proposed a conceptual name for part of the territory as Donnyland.
The term combines the name of the region with that of the US president and was used, among other things, as an informal attempt to strengthen Kyiv’s position in dialogue with the United States.
Negotiation context
The issue concerns an area in eastern Ukraine where fighting is ongoing, and negotiations over control of the territory are taking place.
The options discussed related to a possible special status for the territory, but no agreement was reached.
Reasons behind the initiative
According to sources, the idea of Donnyland was considered as a way to attract the attention of the US administration and increase its involvement in the settlement process.
At the same time, the discussions were informal in nature and were not included in the final documents.
Positions of the parties
Ukraine insists on maintaining control over the territories and considers various models of regional governance, including demilitarized formats.
Russia, in turn, continues to demand full control over part of Donbas, which remains a key obstacle to any agreement.
Negotiation process
The discussions are taking place amid parallel international crises and the involvement of American mediators.
However, the issue of territorial status remains one of the most difficult in the negotiations, and progress on it is effectively stalled.
Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, Olha Stefanishyna, has called on the administration of Donald Trump to restore sanctions pressure on Russia’s oil sector and prevent Moscow from gaining additional advantages amid the situation surrounding Iran.
Ukraine has expressed readiness for a possible meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian ruler Vladimir Putin in Türkiye, provided that two other heads of state also participate, in addition to Donald Trump.
