Ukraine proposed part of Donbas be renamed 'Donnyland,' NYT reports
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Ukrainian officials involved in recent peace talks reportedly suggested that part of the Donbas could be renamed "Donnyland" in honor of U.S. President Donald Trump, the New York Times reported April 21.
According to sources cited by the New York Times, the idea was raised half-jokingly but also as an attempt to encourage the Trump administration to take a firmer stance against Russia's territorial demands.
U.S.-facilitated talks in recent months have focused on the future of the Donbas, a region in eastern Ukraine which includes the partially occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Territorial control remains the central issue, with Moscow pressuring Kyiv to withdraw from areas it still holds — territory Russia has been unable to fully capture militarily since fighting began in 2014.
Trump, who pledged during his campaign to end the war within 24 hours, has spent more than a year pursuing a negotiated settlement. His administration has held multiple rounds of talks with both Ukrainian and Russian officials, prompting frustration in Kyiv, where some officials say Washington has acted more as a mediator than an ally.
After a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August 2025, the administration signaled openness to a potential deal that would see Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk oblast — a move critics view as a significant concession to Moscow. Russia has since promoted what it calls the "Anchorage agreement," under which the Donbas would be transferred to Russian control.
Ukraine continues to hold about a quarter of Donetsk oblast, including a fortified defensive belt and several key cities, as well as limited positions in Luhansk oblast. Kyiv has rejected any withdrawal from territory it controls and instead proposed a ceasefire along existing front lines as a first step toward a broader settlement.
"I want to make it clear: I will never abandon Donbas and the 200,000 Ukrainians who live there," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in March. "Why should I do that? Because Putin is imposing it as a condition for peace? And will he immediately make new demands?"
"Our best defensive strongholds are located here," Zelensky said. "If we withdraw our troops, the Russians will have complete freedom of action toward the center of the country."
According to information obtained by the Kyiv Independent, the U.S. side has not opposed Russia's demand for control over Donbas. One official from Trump's administration told the Kyiv Independent that territorial decisions are "up to" Kyiv and Moscow.
