Reuters: Russia may return small areas, Ukraine may cede Donetsk, Luhansk

Russia would relinquish small pockets of occupied Ukrainian territory while Kyiv would be forced to cede parts of its eastern regions under proposals reportedly discussed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and former U.S. President Donald Trump, sources familiar with Moscow’s thinking said, per Reuterts.

The revelations followed the first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and the Kremlin chief since the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The summit took place at an airforce base in Alaska, where Trump and Putin reportedly explored potential pathways to a negotiated settlement of the ongoing war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to Washington on August 18 to discuss the proposed settlement with Trump.

In a Fox News interview, Trump indicated that he and Putin had “largely agreed” on aspects of land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, though he emphasized that any deal would require Kyiv’s consent. “I think we’re pretty close to a deal… Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they’ll say ‘no,’” he said.

According to sources who requested anonymity, the proposals under discussion could present major political challenges for Ukraine. Moscow’s plan would see Kyiv fully withdraw from the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while Russia would freeze front lines in the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Kyiv, which has reinforced its positions in Donetsk, has already rejected any withdrawal from these key defensive areas.

In return, Russia would return relatively small areas in northern Sumy and northeastern Kharkiv, totaling roughly 440 square kilometers, compared to Ukraine’s 6,600 square kilometers in Donbas.

The sources also said that Putin seeks formal recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014, though it is unclear whether he expects this from the U.S. or a broader international consensus. Additionally, Russia would demand lifting some sanctions imposed by Western countries, although the scope—including whether it would cover U.S. measures—is unclear.

The proposals reportedly include barring Ukraine from joining NATO, while leaving room for “security guarantees” in an arrangement outside the alliance, potentially modeled on NATO’s Article 5 principle of collective defense. European leaders said Trump discussed these guarantees with Kyiv in preliminary talks.

Other elements of Moscow’s plan reportedly call for official recognition of the Russian language in parts of Ukraine and full operational rights for the Russian Orthodox Church. Ukrainian authorities have accused the church of facilitating Russian espionage and propaganda but note that a legal ban on Moscow-linked religious organizations has not yet been enforced.

The sources cautioned that it is unclear whether Putin’s proposals are intended as an initial negotiation framework or a final, non-negotiable offer. Trump briefed Zelenskyy and European leaders on the summit discussions on August 17.

By Khagan Isayev