Vladimir Putin has told Donald Trump that Russia would end the war in Ukraine if Kyiv surrendered the entire Donetsk region, outlining his territorial demands during their high-stakes summit in Alaska that failed to produce a ceasefire agreement.
The Russian President said his country would make undefined territorial concessions in exchange for control over the mineral-rich eastern region, according to multiple sources briefed on Friday’s three-hour meeting at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage.
Reports suggest Russia’s proposed concessions would involve only tiny areas of land it currently controls in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. Mr Putin demanded Ukraine’s military withdraw from both Donetsk and Luhansk as the price for ending the conflict, four people with direct knowledge of the talks confirmed.
The details emerged as European leaders expressed alarm at the US President’s apparent openness to territorial concessions. Mr Trump relayed Putin’s demands to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies in a call on Saturday, urging them to consider the proposals.
Summit Ends Without Breakthrough
Despite pre-summit warnings from Trump of “very severe” economic consequences if Russia refused to halt hostilities, the Alaska meeting concluded without securing the ceasefire he had sought. Both leaders claimed progress but offered no concrete steps toward ending the three-and-a-half-year conflict.
There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump told reporters after the summit, adding he would make calls to NATO and Kyiv. The leaders did not take questions following their joint appearance.
Putin spoke of reaching an “agreement” that would “pave the path toward peace in Ukraine,” whilst Trump described the meeting as “extremely productive.” However, neither mentioned a halt to the fighting that has killed hundreds of civilians monthly.
Territorial Demands Spell Out
Putin spelled out his demands for “land swaps” with Ukraine during his nearly three-hour summit with US President Donald Trump yesterday, including his insistence Ukraine gives up the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, according to European officials familiar with Trump’s accounting of the meeting to his counterparts afterward.
Russia currently controls about 70 percent of Donetsk and nearly all of Luhansk, but key western cities in Donetsk remain under Ukrainian control and are central to Kyiv’s defenses along the eastern front.
The proposal would hand Moscow full control of territory it has partially occupied for more than a decade, where Russian troops are currently advancing at their fastest pace since November. Putin said in exchange, he would be willing to freeze the current front lines in the rest of Ukraine — in the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — and agree to a promise not to attack Ukraine or other European nations again.
European Alarm Over Concessions
French President Emmanuel Macron warned during Saturday’s call that Putin “could not be trusted,” citing the failure of the Minsk ceasefire agreements a decade earlier. One European diplomat briefed on the conversation said: “Trump is in a rush to make a deal but Putin is much less so.”
In a joint statement, the Coalition of the Willing, co-chaired by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, warned that “international borders must not be changed by force.” The group said sanctions on Russia’s war economy should be strengthened if Moscow refuses a ceasefire.
Mr Zelensky, who was not invited to the Alaska summit, has already ruled out surrendering Donetsk, noting Ukraine’s constitution forbids ceding territory. People close to Zelenskyy said the Ukrainian leader remains opposed to surrendering Donetsk but could be open to broader talks with Trump in Washington on Monday, or potentially in a trilateral meeting with Putin.
Starmer Praises Trump’s Peace Efforts
Despite the lack of concrete results, Sir Keir Starmer praised the US President’s diplomatic efforts following the summit. President Trump’s efforts have brought us closer than ever before to ending Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine,” the Prime Minister said. His leadership in pursuit of an end to the killing should be commended.
Mr Starmer added that the next step required further talks involving the Ukrainian President. (The) path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without him,” he said, emphasising that “international borders cannot be, and must not be changed by force.
The British leader had welcomed Mr Zelensky to Downing Street on Thursday in a show of support before the Alaska meeting, discussing security guarantees that could make peace “truly durable if the United States succeeds in pressing Russia to stop the killings and engage in genuine, substantive diplomacy.
Coalition Sets Peace Conditions
European leaders outlined their conditions for any peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine following the summit. These included “ironclad” security guarantees for Ukraine and involvement of the Coalition of the Willing in post-war reconstruction.
The conditions require no limitations on Ukraine’s army or cooperation with third countries, and crucially, no Russian veto on Ukraine joining NATO or the EU. The group also said sanctions on Russia’s war economy should be strengthened if Moscow refuses a ceasefire in Alaska.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney praised his neighbour, saying in a statement: “I welcome the openness of the United States to providing security guarantees as part of Coalition of the Willing’s efforts.” Carney added that “Robust and credible security guarantees are essential to any just and lasting peace.”
Putin’s Pre-Summit Optimism
Before the summit, Putin had struck an optimistic tone, praising Trump’s “quite energetic and sincere efforts” to end the war. The Russian leader told advisers the Trump administration was making genuine attempts to “stop the hostilities” and reach agreements “that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict.
The three-hour Alaska meeting provided Putin, who remains wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, a rare opportunity to break out of international isolation. He was welcomed by Trump on a red carpet and seen joking with him before talks began.
Russian state media gave largely positive coverage of the summit, celebrating the handshake between the two leaders and Putin’s ride in the US presidential limousine. Kremlin officials said the meeting proved Moscow is not as isolated on the world stage as Western leaders have argued.
Next Steps Uncertain
Trump reversed course after the summit to say an overall peace agreement, not just a ceasefire, is the next step. He committed to convening more meetings, including hosting Zelensky at the White House on Monday.
Now it’s really up to President Zelensky to get it done,” Trump said in a Fox News interview, adding there would soon be a meeting between Zelensky, Putin and himself. “They both want me there, and I’ll be there.”
The Ukrainian President said he had a “long and substantive” conversation with Trump on Saturday and they would “discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war” on Monday.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the human cost of the war remains severe. Ukraine marked a grim new record with 286 civilians killed and 1,388 injured in July, according to the United Nations. The conflict shows no signs of abating on the ground, with Russia continuing offensive operations even during the summit.
The Alaska meeting’s failure to produce a ceasefire leaves the path to peace as uncertain as ever, with fundamental disagreements over territory and security guarantees still dividing the parties. European leaders remain wary that any rushed deal could merely pause the conflict temporarily, allowing Russia to regroup for future aggression.
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Image Credit (Shortened):
Donald Trump welcomes Vladimir Putin during arrival in Alaska (15 Aug 2025) – by Benjamin D. Applebaum / U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
