Donald Trump has informed European leaders after talks with Vladimir Putin that he supports a plan for Ukraine to hand over unoccupied territory to Russia in exchange for peace, the New York Times reports, citing two senior European sources. According to the plan, the entire Donbas region would be handed over to Russia, including parts currently held by Ukraine. This would mean that Donetsk and Luhansk would also fall under Russian control. The Financial Times, however, understands that Putin is prepared to freeze the front line in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions in exchange for the territory.
In addition, the New York Times reported that the Russian president proposed a ceasefire on all front lines in Ukraine and a written promise not to attack Ukraine or any other European country again. The newspaper's sources noted that neither Putin nor Trump often keep these written promises.
Trump and Putin met in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. After the meeting, the US president wrote on Truth Social that his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and subsequent phone calls went well. After his talks with Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary General, he also believes that the terrible war between Russia and Ukraine should be ended immediately with a peace agreement, not just a ceasefire, which is often not respected by the parties.
Putin already spoke in his statement after the meeting that in order to end the war, the causes of it must be eliminated, which according to the FT means NATO's eastern expansion. According to the New York Times, sanctions against Russia were not discussed in the phone conversation with European leaders, but Putin was willing to accept strong security guarantees from Western powers to protect Ukrainians, but insisted that this not happen within the framework of NATO. According to the sources, the Russian president also expects the Russian language to be official in Ukraine and that Russian Orthodox churches will be protected.
Analysts see the plan to hand over the territory as a victory for Putin, as well as Trump's rejection of his demand for an immediate ceasefire.
The Ukrainian president said on Tuesday that giving up Donbass was out of the question, because if they leave the area, the fortifications, the hills, the heights they control, they will clearly open a bridgehead for a Russian offensive. Zelensky has not changed his opinion publicly since then, but on Saturday he wrote that no decision on any plan can be made without Ukraine's participation.
The plan will be the subject of a meeting between Zelensky and Trump on Monday, to which European leaders have also been invited, according to a source who spoke to the New York Times on condition of anonymity. The decision on the territory swap would also require Kiev to give its nod, he said.
Zelensky said on Saturday that a real, lasting peace must be achieved, not just another pause in Russian invasions. He also expects the release of all Ukrainian prisoners of war and abducted children, and that the international community must not give in to pressure on the Russians. This includes increasing sanctions until the Russians agree to trilateral talks or try to circumvent the measures.
We will report on the aftermath of the Alaska meeting in minute-by-minute coverage:
