Putin demands Donetsk surrender in Trump call, sources say
Vladimir Putin demanded the complete relinquishing of the Donetsk region during a phone call with President Donald Trump this week as a condition for a ceasefire, two senior officials familiar with the discussion told the Washington Post.
Mr Putin also stated he was willing to cede territories in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions not yet captured by Russia, according to the US newspaper's sources.
Compared with Mr Putin's statements at the Anchorage summit, there appeared to be some progress. That is, at least, how some White House representatives perceived his comments, the Washington Post sources say.
A separate senior European diplomat told the Washington Post that it is unlikely the Ukrainians would see things this way.
“It's like selling your own leg for nothing,” the diplomat stated.
According to the officials, Mr Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, pressured the Ukrainian delegation during Friday’s meeting regarding the ceding of the Donetsk region to Russia, highlighting that the region is largely Russian-speaking.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has not publicly commented on the Russian leader's demands. Following his meeting with Mr Zelensky, he said that the parties should "stop where they are."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Donald Trump on 17 October but failed to receive a positive response on the delivery of Tomahawk missiles. Mr Trump said supplying such armament would create risks, potentially leading to an escalation of the conflict. Another important topic of discussion was establishing an armistice aimed at a ceasefire along the front line.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
