Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that Ukraine hand over control of the Donetsk region as a condition for ending the war, during a phone call with current US President Donald Trump on October 16, The Washington Post reported, citing two high-ranking sources familiar with the content of the conversation.

According to the sources, Putin's focus on Donetsk shows that he is not giving up on his core demands, despite Trump's optimism about the possibility of a deal. The US president has not commented publicly on Moscow's demand that Ukraine give up the region.

The sources add that during the conversation, Putin declared his readiness to"give up" parts of Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, which Russia partially controls, in exchange for full control over Donetsk.

“Some White House officials saw it as progress.”

Another source – a high-ranking European diplomat – commented:

"Ukrainians are unlikely to perceive it that way. It's like selling them your own leg for nothing."

Neither the White House nor the Kremlin responded to requests for comment on the subject.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not withdraw from Donbas as part of any “territorial exchange” being discussed in diplomatic circles.