Donbas Is More Than a Line on a Map: Lessons From Gettysburg, Normandy and Iwo Jima

Dan Rice, President of the American University in Kyiv, defines the Donbas as key terrain where cities, high ground, and transport networks dictate the ability to wage war. Geographic features provide specific advantages in observation, defense, and maneuver, making the ground valuable for the operational capabilities it enables. Historical examples support this principle. The defense of Little Round Top secured the Union flank at Gettysburg, while the assault on Pointe du Hoc neutralized artillery overlooking Normandy. The capture of Mount Suribachi removed a tactical obstacle overlooking forces on Iwo Jima. These events show that terrain is prioritized based on the military consequences of control.

Current defenses in Donetsk, specifically Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, rely on fortifications improved over several years. Surrendering such terrain provides an operational advantage to an adversary that may be unattainable through combat. Beyond military utility, territorial control dictates the political and legal conditions for civilians, including citizenship and property rights. Any assessment of territorial status must focus on the specific capabilities the ground enables for the force in possession.