NYT: During the negotiations, Ukraine proposed the “Donnyland” option for part of Donbas

During the peace talks with the participation of the United States, the Ukrainian side allegedly considered an unconventional initiative – renaming part of Donbass to “Donnyland”. This is reported by The New York Times, citing sources familiar with the negotiations.

According to the publication, this name was supposed to symbolically combine “Donbas” and the name of US President Donald Trump. The idea, which was initially voiced partly in jest, was considered a tool of diplomatic influence – to persuade the American side to take a tougher position on Russia’s territorial claims and at the same time strengthen its involvement in the negotiation process.

Sources note that the proposal did not have a clearly defined official status, but was used during the discussions. Moreover, with the help of modern technologies, conditional attributes were even created – a flag and anthem of the potential entity. At the same time, it is unknown whether this initiative was conveyed to the American side in a formalized form.

In addition, the so-called “Monaco model” was discussed within the framework of the negotiations – the concept of creating a semi-autonomous entity in Donbas with a special economic regime, in particular an offshore zone. According to sources, this idea was included in the draft documents and was considered more seriously.

The negotiation process between Ukraine, Russia and the United States currently remains at an impasse. The last round of negotiations took place on February 17, after which international attention shifted to other geopolitical challenges.