WASHINGTON, BRATISLAVA. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has a tough day ahead of him. Based on available information, it appears that he will face difficult negotiations over territorial concessions.

Pressure on Ukraine is escalating after US President Donald Trump reiterated the parameters of a peace deal that are in line with Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands.

The pair's meeting in Alaska on Friday clearly had a significant impact on Trump.

No agreement was reached during the summit, although the Trump administration vaguely stated that it had made significant progress.

However, the following days represent a significant change in the development of the situation.

The key element is, above all, Monday's meeting between the US president and the Ukrainian president, accompanied by European leaders, which could prove to be significantly more important for the future of both Ukraine and Europe than the US-Russia summit.

What is Putin asking for?

Putin reiterated on Friday that the root causes of the war must be eliminated.

He outlined Russia's terms back in 2024, saying that Russia would retain all the territory it occupies but would also gain regions it does not fully control. Ukraine would also have to abandon its plans to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

During the peace talks, attention is focused primarily on the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, from which the Russian president is demanding Ukraine's withdrawal as a condition for ending the Russian military campaign on Ukrainian territory. Putin is also offering to freeze the front line in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Steve Witkoff, the US president's special envoy, claims that Putin has since made some concessions regarding the territorial exchanges.

However, he did not clarify the details. Neither the Russian president nor any other senior politician in the Russian government has indicated a retreat from Moscow's maximalist demand that all four regions be acquired by Russia.

The Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions were annexed by Russia in 2023. The Kremlin almost completely occupies Luhansk, while Donetsk only in certain places.

BBC, are the"last buffer" and "center" of Ukrainian defense.