Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly demanded the complete cession of the eastern Donbass region and a withdrawal from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as conditions for ending the war with Ukraine. This was a specific peace negotiation condition presented after his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska on the 15th. Although he took a step back from previous territorial demands, he maintained core demands that Ukraine could never accept.
Reuters reported on the 21st (local time), citing multiple Kremlin sources, that President Putin conveyed his negotiation conditions to President Trump. President Putin demanded that Ukraine cede the entire Donbass region (Donetsk and Luhansk provinces), which it currently partially controls, to Russia. This proposal is a slight retreat from last year's demand for the entire four provinces including Donbass, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
Instead, Russia has stated that it will maintain and freeze the current front lines in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which it currently occupies. Presently, Russia controls approximately 88% of Donbass and about 73% of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Additionally, it has indicated that it might return some other occupied areas, such as Kharkiv, to Ukraine.
However, on conditions other than territorial issues, the two countries remain at an impasse. President Putin has insisted on several preconditions for a peace agreement, including ▲ Ukraine's withdrawal from NATO ▲ legal guarantees for stopping NATO's eastward expansion ▲ limitations on Ukrainian military capabilities ▲ the unavailability of Western peacekeeping forces. In effect, he is demanding Ukraine's complete demilitarized neutrality.
To date, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the possibility of ceding territory. He stated, "Donbass is a fortress that prevents Russia's further advance," emphasizing that "withdrawing from the east would be like giving up national survival." He also maintains that NATO membership, as stipulated in the constitution, is not an issue for Russia to interfere with.
Experts noted that while President Trump has claimed the role of a 'peace mediator' and plans to facilitate talks between President Putin and President Zelensky soon, the significant gaps between the two sides make realization unlikely. Samuel Charap, a researcher at the U.S. Rand Corporation, said, "The demand for withdrawal from Donbass is a condition that Ukraine can never accept," adding that "Putin's proposal is more likely a political performance aimed at President Trump rather than a genuine willingness for compromise." Reuters cited a senior Russian government official, stating, "If Ukraine refuses to concede Donbass, the war will continue," adding, "The only choices are peace or war."