why does russia want donbas

Russia wants the Donbas region of Ukraine primarily for its strategic, economic, and symbolic value. The region is industrialized with valuable mineral resources and some of the best farmland in the world. It also holds strategic significance with access to the Black Sea through the port of Mariupol. Furthermore, the Donbas is home to many Russian speakers, which Russia uses to justify claims of protecting Russian interests and populations. Symbolically, Donbas is central to Russia's narrative of maintaining the "Russian world" or "Russkiy Mir" and is seen as integral to fulfilling Putin's vision of Russian influence in the area. Control of Donbas also serves to "goad the West and create havoc," according to analysts, reflecting its geopolitical importance in exerting pressure and destabilizing Ukraine and its allies. Putin seeks to make any peace settlement include the full control of Donbas, which Ukraine strongly resists as it would mean rewarding Russia for its war of conquest and relinquishing an important defense and economic area. The pursuit of Donbas aligns with Russia's broader goal of expanding influence over territories it sees as historically linked to Russia and the Soviet Union, as well as securing regional dominance in eastern Ukraine.