Vladimir Putin is open to ending the war in Ukraine, but he has one key condition, according to reports.

During the Alaska Summit with US President Donald Trump on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid down a demand: Ukraine must pull back from the eastern Donetsk region if they want to see an end to Moscow’s conflict with Kyiv. However, he also mentioned to Trump that if his main demands were met, he’d be willing to freeze the rest of the frontline, as reported by the Financial Times. The report goes on to say that Trump reached out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on Saturday to relay Putin's request. He also encouraged Ukraine and Europe to step back from their attempts to secure a ceasefire with Moscow. For over a decade, Russia has held partial control over the Donetsk region. If Putin's demand is fulfilled, he would gain control of the territory where his forces have made significant advances in the war since last November. According to the FT, Putin has indicated that in return for the Donetsk region, he would agree to freeze the frontline in the southern areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where his troops currently occupy large portions of land, and refrain from launching new offensives to seize more territory. Putin made it clear to Trump that his primary demand—addressing the "root causes" of the conflict—remains unchanged. He insists that NATO's eastward expansion must come to a halt, which means Ukraine would not be permitted to join the alliance. However, he seems open to negotiating on other matters, including territorial issues, as long as he feels the “root causes” are adequately addressed. Russian forces currently control about 70 percent of the Donetsk region, while Ukraine still holds onto the westernmost cities in the area, which are crucial for Kyiv's military operations and defenses along the eastern front. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly stated that he will not trade territory with Russia and will not allow a second partition of the country. He is set to meet Trump on Monday in Washington, where this topic is sure to be a focal point of their discussion.

NEWS