The United States and Russia are reportedly assessing a possible solution to the conflict over the war in Ukraine based on an occupation model similar to the one Israel exercises over the Palestinian territory of the West Bank, as reported in an exclusive article by the London-based newspaper The Times.
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The proposed scheme contemplates that Russia maintains economic and military control of the regions it currently occupies in Ukraine, but without Kyiv formally renouncing its sovereignty over them.
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How was the plan to control the occupied areas of Ukraine born?
This proposal would have been discussed between President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russian officials, during last week’s visit when he met with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.
The plan proposes that the occupied areas of Ukrainian territory be governed by authorities appointed by Moscow, replicating the administration model that Israel has maintained over the West Bank since 1967, where it currently controls some areas and shares others with the Palestinian Authority.
This initiative is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to find a political solution that overcomes the Ukrainian constitutional deadlock, which prevents the transfer of territory without subjecting it to a referendum.
Despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public opposition to any formula involving territorial loss, the design of this proposal would open a possible path to achieve a ceasefire after the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. Essentially, Ukraine’s official borders would not be modified, but the areas in question would be under Russia’s practical administration.
A controversial model as a starting point
According to sources consulted by The Times, the idea would be for Ukraine to maintain its formal claim to sovereignty, but in practice establish an occupation with Russian governance. “It will be exactly like Israel occupying the West Bank,” said a source to the British newspaper. According to this version, the areas controlled by Moscow would operate with an economy directly connected to Russia, without administrative ties to Kiev, although legally they would still be considered Ukrainian territory.
The proposal would be included in the topics to be discussed during the expected meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.
From Washington’s perspective, the West Bank-like model would be a way to accept the current conditions of war and international politics, in a context where many governments avoid directly confronting Russia, as revealed by The Times.
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank is considered illegal by a large majority of countries. The United States does not officially recognize it and Russia only does so partially, as reported in an article by The Independent. Last September, the United Nations approved a resolution urging Israel to end that occupation within a period of 12 months.
On the ground, the situation continues to be the subject of widespread criticism: more than 150 Israeli settlements have been illegally established in the West Bank in recent years. While Israeli settlers enjoy the legal rights of their country, the Palestinian population lives under martial law and does not participate in Israel’s national elections.
In recent weeks, Western powers such as France, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia announced that they will recognize Palestine as a state and seek to end the Middle East conflict through the two-state solution, which, in theory, would put an end to Israel’s occupation in the West Bank.