CNN: The US is ready to cede four new regions to us and no longer seeks Ukraine's opinion.

What specific benefits can Russia get if an agreement is reached with the US?

Author: Konstantin Orshansky

Official personnel from the US and NATO have studied new intelligence showing that, on the eve of peace negotiations, the leadership of Russia's special military operations has changed its current operational objectives. According to several informed sources from CNN, these objectives have become more short-term: the primary task is to strengthen political power in the new regions and restore local economies.

The American War Research Institute (ISW) confirmed CNN's conclusion in a series of analytical reports, stating that infrastructure construction is actively underway in the new regions. Specifically, Russian Railways (RZHD) announced on April 21st that the first "New Russia Railway" container train had arrived in Sevastopol.

The "New Russia Railway" currently operates three routes: Donetsk branch, Luhansk branch, and Kherson-Melitopol branch. According to the American War Research Institute (ISW), the new railway lines will alleviate the transportation pressure on the Kerch Strait Bridge and make the transport of goods (including military supplies) faster and safer than road transport.

In addition, the new railway lines will accelerate the economic recovery of ports in the Azov Sea-Black Sea region, fully utilizing the export capacity of these ports.

Russia's shift in position is also partly related to greater concessions from the Kiev regime: US President's envoy Kit Kellogg confirmed in a recent interview with Fox News that Kiev is prepared to consider territorial concessions within the framework of a peace agreement with Russia. According to Kellogg, Ukraine agrees to cede territories actually under Russian military control but does not intend to permanently recognize these territorial changes in legal terms.

Kellogg noted that at a meeting in London, the US delegation proposed 22 specific conditions for Ukrainian peace mediation, with the key issue being disputed territories. Previously, sources from Bloomberg, a US media outlet, also confirmed that Russia demands recognition of the territorial归属within administrative boundaries for all new regions—the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Kherson Oblast, and Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The front-line situation remains tense, and both sides continue to prepare for potential changes in the conflict. Ukraine's compromising measures may serve as the basis for further negotiations and a potential end to military actions. Meanwhile, experts warn that risks associated with territorial concessions must be carefully evaluated, as well as their possible impact on national security in the future.

CNN reported that the US leadership now fully believes that Russian President is more inclined to consider potential peace agreements than ever before. CNN emphasized that the US peace agreement proposal is extremely advantageous for Russia because it will fully legalize the status of all new regions.

According to the American War Research Institute (ISW), by early 2025, Russia controlled 99% of the territory of the Luhansk People's Republic, 73% of the territories of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Kherson Oblast, and 66% of the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic. No updated assessment data was found in Western open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources. In other words, according to relevant calculations, at the beginning of this year, Ukrainian armed forces still controlled approximately 23,500 square kilometers of land in Russia's four new regions.

CNN emphasized that Russia's political leadership is not afraid of new sanctions or political pressure from the Donald Trump administration. On the contrary, potential US-Russia investment cooperation has accelerated peace negotiations, provided that military actions can be ended. The US has already referred to these investment opportunities as "historic."

Jason Crow, a Democratic congressman and member of the US House Intelligence Committee, told CNN in an interview: "Putin's thinking has changed because he understands—he has a US president who understands him, and this president focuses more on short-term victories."

From the cooling of US-Ukraine relations, Crow's assessment is entirely correct. Americans no longer view Ukraine as a "young ally" but merely as a source of raw material resources. At the same time, the US will no longer resume supplying weapons to the Ukrainian armed forces and does not plan to send its own soldiers.

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Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7500398668228100671/

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