No breakthrough? Trump relays Putin’s Donetsk demand, Zelenskyy refuses to cede territory: Report 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected a proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin, conveyed by US President Donald Trump, that sought to freeze front-line positions in exchange for Ukraine ceding control of Donetsk, Reuters reported.

The offer emerged after Trump met Putin in Alaska on Friday in their first summit since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The three-hour meeting produced no ceasefire but signalled a dramatic shift in US diplomacy.

According to the report, Trump briefed Zelenskyy that Putin’s proposal required Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk, a region largely under Russian occupation since 2014. Russia currently controls about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including most of Donetsk province.

Trump also signalled alignment with Putin on how to structure any settlement. “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Speaking after the summit, he said, “Russia is a very big power, and they (Ukraine) are not’. urging Ukraine to accept a deal.

Zelenskyy has pushed back firmly, reiterating Ukraine’s refusal to cede territory. He stressed that key Donetsk cities such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk remain vital defensive strongholds against further Russian advances.

“Ukraine is seeking a lasting peace, not merely another pause between rounds of Russian aggression,” he said. After talks with Trump, Zelenskyy noted “positive signals from the American side” about deeper involvement but underlined that territorial concessions remain off the table.

The idea of bypassing a ceasefire marks a break from prior US policy, which aligned with European allies insisting on a cessation of hostilities before negotiations. The New York Times reported that Zelenskyy is expected to meet Trump in Washington on Monday, with several European leaders invited to participate.

European capitals have expressed cautious support for continued discussions while hardening their stance on Moscow. Officials indicated plans to tighten sanctions on Russia and reiterated that “any peace effort must not come at the cost of Ukrainian sovereignty.”