Ukraine is under pressure to trade land for peace − if it does, history shows it might not ever get it back
- Written by Peter Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science, Colorado State University
An elderly Ukrainian walks through the rubble following a Russian aerial bomb strike in Donetsk Oblast.Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty ImagesAsked in December 2025 what the biggest sticking point was in negotiating peace in Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump got straight to the point: land. “Some of that land has been taken. Some...










