Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that he would withdraw most of his troops from the front lines if Ukraine cedes the Donetsk province. Former U.S. President Donald Trump met with Putin in Alaska. Following the meeting, Trump also spoke with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Sources indicate that Putin’s demand centered on the Donetsk province. Trump conveyed this to Zelensky, who refused to hand over Donetsk to Russia.
Russia already controls approximately a fifth of Ukraine, including almost three-quarters of the Donetsk province. Russia first entered this province in 2014. Trump also stated that a peace agreement should precede a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict. Putin also seems to agree with this.
Trump and Putin held a meeting in Alaska on August 15th. They engaged in closed-door discussions for around 3 hours concerning the Ukraine war. However, no ceasefire was announced afterward. Both leaders held a press conference post-meeting, but did not answer questions from journalists. Trump said the conversation was positive and that there were disagreements on some issues. However, he did not specify the areas of agreement. Following the meeting, Trump wrote on Truth Social that everyone had determined that the best way to end the Russia-Ukraine war was to move directly to a peace agreement, since a ceasefire alone is often unsuccessful.
Russia says it welcomes Trump’s remarks where he has advocated for a full agreement rather than just a ceasefire. This will be difficult since the two sides hold completely opposing views. The Russian army has been advancing slowly for months. According to experts, the Russia-Ukraine war is one of the most devastating conflicts in Europe in 80 years, with more than a million people killed on both sides.
Prior to the Alaska summit, Trump stated that he would not be happy until a ceasefire was agreed upon. However, he later mentioned that he would be meeting with Zelensky on Monday. If all goes well after this meeting, a meeting with Putin would be scheduled. Zelensky has stated that he will be meeting with Trump in Washington on Monday. Sources suggest that European leaders have also been invited to this discussion. Zelensky has said he is ready to meet Putin. However, Putin has not indicated any change in Russia’s long-standing stance on the war. He has also not publicly commented on a meeting with Zelensky.