During the conversation, Putin suggested that in exchange for control over the Donetsk Oblast he could give up parts of two other regions of Ukraine that he had previously conquered — in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts — said government officials, asking for anonymity.
Progress in talks on the future of Ukraine?
These are slightly smaller territorial claims than those he made at the Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage in August. According to one source, some White House officials portrayed it as progress. The second source said that Ukrainians probably don't see it that way.
Russian troops control part of the Donetsk region. Ukrainian forces in this region are deeply entrenched and view it as the main bulwark against a rapid Russian offensive west towards Kiev. The fact that Putin is focused on the Donetsk Oblast shows that he is not abandoning his previous territorial claims, which have left the conflict at an impasse. This is contrary to Trump's optimism that he can end the war, we read.
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According to sources, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff allegedly pressed the Ukrainians during Friday's meeting to hand over control of the Donetsk Oblast to Russiabecause most of its inhabitants are Russian-speaking.
Donald Trump has not yet publicly commented on the proposal put forward by Putin on Thursday. The president revealed that during a meeting at the White House on Friday, he told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that must conclude an agreement with Russiaand both sides should “stop where they are” and declare victory. Zelensky said he agreed with him, but emphasized that the problem was the attitude of the Russian leader.
