The Duran Podcast Russia prepares Donbass cauldron. Negotiations dwindle
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Mar 3, 2026 Discussion centers on diplomacy around Ukraine after Geneva meetings and why talks are losing steam. Analysis of shifting battlefield dynamics in Donbass and Russia’s winter advances. Examination of risks of Ukrainian forces becoming encircled near Slovyansk and Kramatorsk. Conversation about continued external support for Ukraine and how military momentum may shape political demands.
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Negotiations Are Stalled And Rely On Backchannels
- Diplomacy around Ukraine has largely stalled with informal actors like Kirill Dmitriev filling gaps instead of official negotiators.
- Dmitriev met Witkoff in Geneva after Medinsky's hardline stance, suggesting only tenuous, secret backchannels remain active.
US Needs To Resolve Zelensky For Talks To Progress
- The speakers argue negotiations will stall until the US either pressures Zelensky or replaces him, shifting focus back to military action.
- Medinsky's Geneva visit was framed as Russia putting a full stop on concessions, indicating preparations for continued fighting.
Donbass And Zaporizhzhia Will Decide The War
- The winter battlefield dynamics point to 2026 as decisive, with Donbass and Zaporizhzhia as the conflict's pivot points.
- Losing those regions would mean Ukraine has effectively lost the war, not just the eastern front.