WARSAW: US President Donald Trump has expressed support for a Russian proposal allowing Moscow to take full control of two Ukrainian regions while freezing the front line in two others, according to a source.
The source familiar with the matter stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin “de facto demands that Ukraine leave Donbas,“ referring to the eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.
“Trump is inclined to support it,“ the source added.
Trump discussed the issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders following his Friday talks with Putin.
“The Ukrainian president refused to leave Donbas,“ the source revealed.
Zelensky has firmly opposed territorial concessions, citing Ukraine’s constitution, but remains open to trilateral discussions involving Trump and Putin.
The New York Times reported that two senior European officials confirmed Trump’s backing of Putin’s plan to end the war by ceding territory to Russia.
The Financial Times noted that Putin had conveyed to Trump his willingness to freeze the frontline if core demands were met.
AFP’s source indicated that US officials believe Putin would halt offensives in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia if Russia’s conditions are accepted.
“But de facto it all will depend on Putin’s word of honour,“ the source cautioned.
Russia previously annexed four Ukrainian regions in 2022 despite not fully controlling them militarily.
Russian forces currently occupy nearly all of Lugansk and large parts of Donetsk, including regional capitals.
Zaporizhzhia and Kherson remain partially under Ukrainian control, with key cities still held by Kyiv.
Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea set a precedent for its territorial claims in Ukraine. – AFP