Vladimir Putin demands Ukraine relinquish the eastern Donbas region, abandon NATO ambitions, remain neutral, and keep Western troops out, according to three Kremlin insiders speaking to Reuters.
On Friday, the Russian president met Donald Trump in Alaska for the first Russia-U.S. summit in over four years. Their nearly three-hour closed-door meeting focused on potential compromises for Ukraine, as reported by sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
Afterward, alongside Trump, Putin expressed hope that the meeting would pave the way for peace in Ukraine, but neither leader disclosed specific details of their discussions.
Reuters provided the most detailed Russian-based coverage yet on Putin’s summit proposal, outlining the Kremlin’s vision for a possible peace deal to end a conflict that has resulted in numerous casualties.
Essentially, Putin has moderated his June 2024 territorial demands, which required Kyiv to surrender all four provinces Moscow claims: Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas, along with Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south.
Kyiv has dismissed these terms, viewing them as equivalent to capitulation.
In his revised proposal, Putin insists Ukraine withdraw entirely from the Donbas areas it controls. In exchange, Moscow would freeze the current front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, the sources stated.
Russia holds about 88% of the Donbas and 73% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, according to U.S. estimates and open-source data.
Moscow is also ready to return small portions of Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions under its control, the sources noted.
Putin maintains his demand for Ukraine to forgo NATO membership, seeking a legally binding pledge from the U.S.-led alliance not to expand eastward, impose limits on the Ukrainian army, and ensure no Western troops are deployed in Ukraine as peacekeepers, the sources said.
However, significant differences persist, more than three years after Putin ordered a large-scale invasion of Ukraine, following the 2014 annexation of Crimea and prolonged eastern conflicts between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment on the proposals.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has consistently rejected giving up internationally recognized Ukrainian territories as part of any deal, describing the Donbas as a defensive stronghold against further Russian advances.
“Simply withdrawing from the east is impossible,” he told reporters on Thursday. “It’s about our nation’s survival, rooted in strong defense lines.”
Joining NATO is a strategic goal embedded in Ukraine’s constitution, seen as a crucial security guarantee. Zelenskiy emphasized that Russia cannot dictate NATO membership decisions.
The White House and NATO did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the Russian proposals.
Political scientist Samuel Charap from the RAND Corporation, a U.S. policy think-tank, stated that any demand for Ukraine to leave the Donbas is politically and strategically unacceptable to Kyiv.
“Offering peace on terms unacceptable to the other side might be more show for Trump than genuine compromise,” he said. “A serious working-level process is needed to explore details.”
TRUMP: PUTIN SEEKS RESOLUTION
Russian forces control about a fifth of Ukraine, an area comparable to Ohio, according to U.S. estimates and open-source maps.
Three Kremlin insiders indicated the Anchorage summit offered the best peace opportunity since the war began, with specific discussions on Russia’s terms and Putin’s willingness to compromise.
“Putin is ready for peace and compromise,” one source relayed to Trump.
The insiders cautioned that Ukraine’s willingness to relinquish the remaining Donbas was uncertain, and without it, the war would persist. Additionally, it was unclear if the U.S. would acknowledge Russian-held Ukrainian territory.
A fourth source noted that while economic concerns are secondary for Putin, he recognizes Russia’s economic vulnerabilities and the effort needed for further advances into Ukraine.
Trump expressed a desire to end the “bloodbath” and be remembered as a “peacemaker president,” announcing plans for a trilateral summit with Russian and Ukrainian leaders.
“I believe Vladimir Putin wants this conflict resolved,” Trump said alongside Zelenskiy. “I’m confident we’ll find a solution.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Thursday that Putin is prepared to meet Zelenskiy, but all issues must be settled first, and questions remain about Zelenskiy’s authority to sign a peace deal.
Putin has questioned Zelenskiy’s legitimacy, as his term was set to expire in May 2024, but the war has postponed elections. Kyiv insists Zelenskiy remains the legitimate president.
Leaders from Britain, France, and Germany remain skeptical of Putin’s intentions to end the conflict.
SECURITY ASSURANCES FOR UKRAINE
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff played a crucial role in arranging the summit and advancing peace efforts, according to two Russian sources.
Witkoff met Putin in the Kremlin on August 6 with aide Yuri Ushakov. During the meeting, Putin outlined his readiness for compromise and the contours of an acceptable peace agreement.
If Russia and Ukraine reach an agreement, options include a formal U.N.-recognized Russia-Ukraine-U.S. deal or revisiting the 2022 Istanbul agreements, where Ukraine’s permanent neutrality was discussed in exchange for security guarantees from the U.N. Security Council’s five permanent members.
“The choice is clear: war or peace, and if not peace, then more war,” one source concluded.
