Newstalk ZB
Ukrainian officials have proposed naming a part of their country “Donnyland” in an effort to win over United States President Donald Trump. The unofficial plan, revealed this week by the New York Times, was suggested by negotiators to rename a slice of the Donbas region as part of the peace talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine. The new name would be both a reference to “Donald” and “Donbas”. It is not the first time international relations have been based on attaching Trump’s name to things, the New York Times reported. Poland wanted a US military base on its land in 2018, so it pitched the idea as “Fort Trump”. When Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a peace agreement at the White House last year, they announced a new highway between the countries called the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity”. In Syria, since the fall of the dictator Bashar al-Assad, power brokers suggested building a Trump-branded resort and golf course to get sanctions removed. The Ukrainian proposal has not been successful so far, but that didn’t stop a Ukrainian negotiator from reportedly creating an official flag and national anthem for “Donnyland” using ChatGPT, according to the Times newspaper in Britain. The full-scale war began in February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, and the countries are now locked in a stalemate, with the front lines moving little in the past two years, according to 9News in Australia. Talks to end the war appear to be in a deadlock, with Moscow demanding Ukrainian territory, which Ukraine has dismissed, reported British news site the Independent. US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside the West Wing of the White House. Photo / Getty Images When a Ukrainian negotiator first floated Donnyland – partly as a joke – it hoped it would get Trump to push back harder on Russia’s demands in the peace talks, reported the New York Times. Negotiators suggested Donnyland could be formed in a demilitarised zone not fully controlled by either country, which could be “branded as an accomplishment” for Trump. The name also reflects the reality that Governments realise they can secure American support by playing to Trump’s vanity, according to the New York Times.
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