According to a report by the Financial Times, Vladimir Putin set Donald Trump as a condition for ending the war the withdrawal of Ukraine from the eastern region of Donetsk, offering in return the consolidation of the remaining front line.

The Russian president presented the proposal at a meeting with Trump in Alaska on Friday, four people with direct knowledge of the talks said. The next day, Trump conveyed the message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, urging them to abandon the pursuit of a ceasefire and focus on a peace deal.

The Kremlin proposal would give Moscow full control of the Donetsk region, where Russian forces are making their biggest advance since November. In return, Putin reportedly promised not to expand his attacks into Kherson and Zaporizhia , areas he already largely controls.

Despite the concessions, the Russian leader did not back down from his central demands: disarming Ukraine, preventing its accession to NATO, and overthrowing the current government.

The publication notes that Putin made it clear that he has not withdrawn his basic demands for resolving the root causes of the conflict, which in practice would mean the end of Ukrainian statehood in its current form and the reversal of NATO's eastern enlargement.

However, the Russian president appears willing to compromise on other issues, including territorial ones, as long as the root causes are satisfied, according to a former senior Kremlin official.

Russian forces control about 70% of Donetsk, but the towns and villages in the western part - which remains freely under Ukrainian control - are crucial to Ukraine's military operations and defensive lines on the eastern front.

People familiar with Zelensky's thoughts said he would not agree to hand over Donetsk, but would be open to discussing the territory issue with Trump in Washington, where they are expected to meet on Monday. According to the same sources, Zelensky would also be willing to discuss the issue in a trilateral meeting with Trump and Putin.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the content of the Trump-Putin talks. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump called on European leaders to drop the demand for a ceasefire and support a direct peace deal. This is the best way to end the horrible war, he wrote, noting that he had spoken with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Emmanuel Macron.

The US president's stance has reignited concerns in European capitals, where even before the Alaska summit there were fears that Trump would pave the way for land swaps as part of an agreement.

Instead of a truce, the three-hour meeting offered Putin – indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes – an opportunity to break out of international isolation.

Trump welcomed him with a red carpet in Anchorage, Alaska.

European leaders have been invited to attend talks between Ukrainian President Zelensky and U.S. President Trump on Monday in Washington, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The same source noted that it is not yet entirely clear which leaders will participate.