Military analyst Aleksey Zhivov believes Moscow could secure control over Donbass within a year even without any peace agreement. In his view, this outcome is likely if the current pace of the Russian Armed Forces’ advance in the special military operation zone remains unchanged.

Zhivov, cited by Lenta.ru, noted that the timeline could shift depending on whether additional forces are deployed, adding that a range of factors may accelerate or slow down the process.

He also recalled earlier reports in Western media which, citing unnamed sources, claimed that the administration of US president Donald Trump had allegedly considered a peace plan for the Ukraine conflict that would transfer Donbass to Russia under a «cash for land» arrangement.

According to those reports, the idea was that Moscow would pay Kiev rental fees in exchange for control over the region. In such a scenario, Donbass would de facto fall under Russian administration, while de jure remaining part of Ukraine.