“Russian ruler Volodymyr Putin said US President Donald Trump that Russia would cease fighting in Ukraine in exchange for significant territorial concessions from Kiev and international recognition of occupied territories.”, – WRITE: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: The Wall Street Journal
Details: According to sources, Putin told Trump Steve Vitcoff that he would agree to a complete ceasefire if Ukraine removes troops from all over the Donetsk region. In this case, Russia will control Donetsk and Lugansk regions, as well as Crimea, annexed in 2014, which Moscow requires to recognize its sovereign territory.
Advertising:
The European and Ukrainian officials, who were informed by President Trump and Witkoff this week during a series of phone calls, have expressed serious warnings, believing that the Kremlin does not take any significant obligations except stopping hostilities. They stated that they feared that Putin was simply using this proposal as a tactical move to avoid new rigid sanctions and tariffs from the US, without real intention to complete the war.
According to two European officials, on Friday, Vitcoff reported that the proposal consists of two stages. In the first stage, Ukraine removes troops from Donetsk, and the front line is frozen. Then, in the second stage, Putin and Trump agree the final peace plan, which will later be agreed with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump acknowledged that Putin’s initiative is not a breakthrough, but it is attractive enough to start preparing for a two -sided summit that can happen next week.
Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized that he was ready to discuss territorial issues only after a complete and unconditional ceasefire by Russia.
In Putin’s proposal, the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine and its aspirations for NATO membership was not considered. As part of the proposal, Putin said that his government would pass a law that would not be obliged not to attack Ukraine or Europe, but in the EU have been treated with deep skepticism.
Literally: “Putin’s maneuver seems to be partially aimed at increasing the internal pressure on Zelensky, because many Ukrainians want the end of the war, but at the same time oppose significant territorial concessions. Now this proposal can direct pressure on Kiev to force him to negotiate and help Moscow bypass new sanctions.”
Prehistory:
- US President Donald Trump on August 8 at a briefing at the White House stated that a peace agreement on the Russian-Ukrainian war should expect a “certain exchange of territories”.
- Earlier, NBC News, citing an anonymous high -ranking White House official, reported that a meeting of US President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin is preparing and pre -planned for the end of next week.
- The Kremlin’s assistant, Yuri Ushakov, reported to reporters that the next week is probably a meeting of Putin and Trump next week. Trump himself publicly declared “good chances” to meet with the Kremlin master in the near future.
- The media wrote that Trump seemed to communicate with Italy Prime Minister George Meloni on the potential to meet Putin in Rome.