Trump Conveys Putin’s Donetsk Demand to Zelenskyy, Calls Russia a ‘Very Big Power’

‘Very Big Power’: Zelensky says Russia’s refusal to agree to ceasefire is complicating peace talks.

"We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation," the Ukrainian president said in a statement on X.

On Monday Zelensky will travel to Washington DC where Trump will ask him to sign a peace deal.

Trump told Putin on Friday in Alaska that Ukraine should sign a peace deal with Russia, “Russia is a big power and they’re not.” The Alaska meeting was the first US-Russia summit since the full-scale invasion in February 2022 and lasted 3 hours.

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According to the source Trump told Zelenskyy that Putin’s offer was to stop advancing if Ukraine withdrew from Donetsk, a region that has been under Russian control since 2014. Russia currently occupies about 20% of Ukrainian territory including most of Donetsk province.

Trump said he and Putin agreed that a peace settlement should be pursued without a ceasefire – a condition that Ukraine and its European partners (until now backed by Washington) have always insisted on.

Donetsk is an industrial region that is one of Moscow’s main targets.

“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 posted on Truth Social.

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Zelenskyy has ruled out ceding territory, saying constitutional changes would be required for that.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly said Ukraine cannot cede territory without constitutional changes and considers key cities in Donetsk such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as strategic defensive strongholds preventing further Russian advances. Zelenskyy has also stressed the need for long-term security guarantees to prevent future invasions.

He said he and Trump discussed “positive signals from the American side” regarding involvement and that Ukraine is looking for a lasting peace, not “another pause” between rounds of Russian aggression.

According to The New York Times Zelensky will meet Trump on Monday with several European leaders invited to join the talks. European officials have expressed cautious support for the talks while reaffirming their support for Kyiv. They also said they will tighten sanctions on Moscow, saying any peace initiative must not come at the cost of Ukrainian sovereignty.

Also Read: Trump, Zelensky Hold Lengthy Call on Flight to DC After Alaska Summit With Putin