Reuters: Russia sends secret “non-paper” to US, demands full control of Donbas

Russia has restated its long-standing demands for a peace deal with Ukraine in a private “non-paper” sent to Washington over the weekend, according to two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the matter.

The informal diplomatic note, first reported by Reuters, reiterated Moscow’s insistence on gaining full control of Ukraine’s Donbas region and on prohibiting the deployment of NATO troops to Ukrainian territory under any future agreement.

One U.S. official said the proposal effectively rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that a potential ceasefire should freeze the conflict along the current front lines. The communique, the official added, underscored Russia’s “maximalist” stance that has remained unchanged despite ongoing discussions about peace.

The disclosure comes as plans for a potential Trump–Putin summit in Budapest appear increasingly uncertain. A White House official told Reuters on October 21 that there were no immediate plans for such a meeting. The Russian embassy in Washington declined to comment.

Asked about the non-paper, the White House referred to Trump’s remarks to reporters on October 21, when he said he had not yet made a decision on the summit but would not hold a “wasted meeting.” He added that a ceasefire “along the current battle lines” remained possible.

Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone on October 16, after which he indicated that the Budapest summit could take place within two weeks.

Just a day later, on October 17, Trump administration officials reportedly presented Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a Kremlin-backed proposal that would see Kyiv cede the Donbas region in exchange for retaining small parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Zelenskyy firmly rejected the idea, while Trump subsequently stated publicly that he favoured freezing the front lines as they stand.

By Vugar Khalilov