Vladimir Putin has conditioned an end to the war on Ukraine's withdrawal from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. He told Trump that he could "freeze" the rest of the front if his key demands were met, according to the Financial Times.
This demand was made during a meeting between Putin and Trump in Alaska on Friday, as reported by four sources with direct knowledge of the talks. Trump subsequently shared this message with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders during a conference call on Saturday, urging them to abandon efforts to secure a ceasefire with Moscow.
If Ukraine agrees to this, it would allow Moscow to gain complete control of a region it has partially occupied for over a decade, where its troops have been advancing at an accelerated pace since last November.
In exchange for the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, Putin indicated that he would freeze the front line in the southern areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces hold significant territory. He also stated that no new offensives to seize additional land would be launched, according to three sources familiar with the discussions.
Putin clarified that he has not withdrawn his core demands for addressing the "root causes" of the conflict, which would effectively mean an end to Ukraine's current statehood and a reversal of NATO's eastward expansion. However, the Russian president appears open to compromise on other issues, including territorial disputes, as long as his primary concerns are sufficiently addressed, according to a former senior Kremlin official.
The Financial Times reports that Russian forces currently control about 70% of Donetsk, but the westernmost chain of cities remains under Ukrainian control and is vital for military operations and the defense of the country along the eastern front.
Sources close to Zelenskyy's thinking indicate that he would not agree to cede Donetsk but is open to discussing territorial issues with Trump during their expected meeting in Washington on Monday. According to the same sources, Zelenskyy would also consider the issue in a three-way meeting with Trump and Putin.
The White House did not respond to requests for comments regarding the content of Trump’s discussions with Putin, nor did Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson.
In a social media post on Saturday, Trump urged European leaders to abandon ceasefire efforts with Putin and advised Zelenskyy to "make a deal" with Russia.
“It has been decided by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to move directly to a Peace Deal, which will end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which is often not honored,” Trump wrote on Truth Social following the conference call with European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron.
“If all goes well, then we will schedule a meeting with President Putin,” Trump added. The Kremlin stated that Putin and Trump did not discuss a three-way meeting with Zelenskyy in Anchorage.
No comments:
Post a Comment