US media: Trump envoy floats Ukraine land deal in talks with Kremlin

Talks between the United States and Russia on ending the war in Ukraine are centring on five Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims as its own, but which Kyiv insists it will never cede.

Steve Witkoff, an envoy representing U.S. President Donald Trump, has identified the disputed territories as pivotal to any potential agreement with the Kremlin, Caliber.Az reports via U.S. media.

However, their contested status could also emerge as a major obstacle to a deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson are part of the Russian Federation — despite all of them being internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory and at least partially occupied by Russian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly stated that Ukraine will never accept Russian sovereignty over the regions. If a future Trump administration were to pressure Kyiv into conceding some or all of the areas, Zelenskyy could find himself caught between losing critical U.S. backing or alienating his domestic base — either outcome potentially benefiting Moscow.

The five regions in question stretch across southeastern Ukraine, a zone rich in agriculture, mineral resources and industrial infrastructure. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, thousands have been killed, cities have been levelled, and many residents have been displaced.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and gained control of parts of the Donbas in eastern Ukraine, before launching its broader offensive. Following the 2022 invasion, Russian forces took most of Luhansk, large portions of Donetsk, and parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. Ukrainian forces recaptured the city of Kherson by the end of that year. Moscow has struggled since to seize the rest of Donetsk.

To cement its hold, Russia cracked down on dissent in occupied areas and held widely denounced referendums in September 2022, claiming overwhelming support for joining Russia. The international community overwhelmingly rejected the votes as illegitimate and orchestrated.

Witkoff first raised the regions during a March interview with right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson, although he misidentified the number and could not recall most of their names.

He inaccurately stated that Russia held de facto control and repeated Kremlin talking points, asserting the areas were predominantly Russian-speaking and had voted to join Russia. The referendums have been condemned by Western governments as rigged.

In a subsequent interview, Witkoff said Putin had been focused on territorial gains in discussions, and suggested Moscow may retain control of some regions, though not necessarily all.

He speculated that Ukraine might be more amenable to ceding Russian-speaking areas. “When you begin to look at those five regions... if some of them are more Russian-speaking, do you care less about that?” he said.

Zelenskyy has dismissed any compromise on territorial integrity, a position broadly supported by Ukrainians. All five regions voted in favour of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. While ethnic Russians and Russian speakers live in these areas, polling consistently shows that a majority of residents identify as Ukrainian, regardless of language or ethnicity.

Following the Russian occupation, many pro-Kyiv residents fled, and Moscow encouraged the resettlement of Russian citizens. Russia has imposed a harsh campaign of Russification, including the reported detention and torture of civilians.

The widespread use of Russian in eastern and southern Ukraine stems from centuries of Moscow's dominance, during which Ukrainian was suppressed. However, Russia’s actions have had the opposite effect of unifying Ukrainian identity. Surveys by Kyiv-based Democratic Initiatives Foundation show that the proportion of Ukrainians identifying Ukrainian as their native language rose to 78% from 48% since 2014, while native Russian speakers declined from 31% to 6%.

Moscow is demanding formal recognition of its control over the regions as part of any peace deal, in addition to broader goals including a Ukrainian withdrawal from its NATO aspirations and a downsized military.

Ukrainian officials view the talks between Moscow and Trump’s envoy as an attempt by Russia to undercut Western support for Kyiv, potentially easing the way toward achieving Putin’s ultimate goal — control over the Ukrainian capital.

By Aghakazim Guliyev