Russian leader Vladimir Putin has called on Ukraine to pull out of the eastern Donetsk region as a prerequisite to bringing Moscow’s war with Kyiv to an end. The call was made during the Alaska Summit with US President Donald Trump on Friday, the Financial Times reports.
Though keeping firmly to his claim on the territory, Putin indicated that if his “core demands” were satisfied, he was willing to freeze the remaining part of the frontline without further escalation in other occupied areas.
Trump Passes on Putin’s Demand to Allies
According to reports, after the meeting, President Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and various European leaders on Saturday to inform them of Putin’s stance. Trump also appealed to Ukraine and its European allies to drop plans to solicit a ceasefire from Moscow, emphasizing that Putin’s offer was the most pragmatic framework for talks.
Russia has retained a partial grip on Donetsk for more than a decade, and its troops now control about 70 percent of the territory. Russian forces have established significant gains since November last year, tightening Moscow’s grip on the east front.
If Ukraine were to accept Putin’s condition, Russia would have complete control over its most strategic territorial conquests, ensuring Moscow’s dominance of the Donbas region.
Ukraine, nonetheless, maintains possession of the westernmost urban chain in Donetsk, which is deemed pivotal in its defense and military supply chain.
What Putin Is Willing to Trade For
In the FT report, Putin said he would settle to freeze the front line in the southern parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russia currently occupies significant territory, in return for complete possession of Donetsk.
This would involve ending further military advances in southern Ukraine and refraining from further efforts to capture more territory. But Putin added that this offer would be contingent on Ukraine and NATO resolving what he refers to as the “root causes” of the war.
Putin reaffirmed that among his core conditions is NATO’s expansion to the east. Putin has always insisted that Ukraine cannot be permitted to become a member of the alliance, presenting it as an immediate security threat to Russia.
Though the Kremlin is flexible on some territorial matters, Putin emphasized that his strategic red lines for NATO membership are not up for negotiation.
Zelensky Rejects Territorial Concessions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently excluded any concessions of territory to Russia, declaring that he would not permit a second partition of Ukraine.
Zelensky will meet Trump in Washington on Monday, where the Donetsk question is likely to be the most dominant topic. Kyiv indicated that it would keep depending on Western diplomatic and military support to counter Moscow’s drive for territory.
The Alaska Summit highlights the entrenched differences between Moscow’s position and Kyiv’s. Although Putin has indicated a willingness to negotiate, his stance on holding onto Donetsk and preventing NATO expansion leaves the possibility of negotiated peace in doubt.
With the war dragging on, Ukraine must defend the remainder of its territory in Donetsk, while the US and EU allies balance the geopolitics of conceding to Putin’s demands.
