Anna Hartz
Putin Offers New Conditions for Ending War, Kiev Rejects Them
Peace talks can drag on for years, with each side unwilling to give up what it sees as essential.
The war in Ukraine is no different. Now, after more than three years of fighting, a new set of conditions is being discussed behind closed doors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding that Ukraine give up the entire Donbas region. He also wants Ukraine to remain neutral, stay out of NATO, and refuse to host Western troops, reports Ziare.
These details come from three sources close to the Kremlin who spoke with Reuters.
Spoke for Hours
Putin met U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska last Friday. It was the first summit between the two leaders in four years.
They spoke for several hours, most of it in private. Later, Putin told reporters he hoped the meeting would open a path to peace. Neither leader, however, gave specific details.
The Territories
According to the sources, Putin has softened his earlier demands. In 2024 he had insisted Ukraine hand over four regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia.
Now he is focused mainly on Donbas, where Russia already controls most of the territory.
In return, Moscow would keep current front lines in the south. Russia also signaled it could withdraw from smaller areas in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk.
Even so, Putin has not dropped other conditions. He wants NATO to stop expanding east.
Vital for Defense
He wants Ukraine’s military restricted. He insists that no Western troops should ever be stationed in Ukraine.
The gap between the two sides remains wide. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected leaving Donbas.
He says the region is vital to Ukraine’s defense and survival. NATO membership, written into Ukraine’s constitution, also remains a key goal.
Doubts About Sincerity
The White House and NATO have not yet commented. Trump has said he wants to end the “bloodbath” and be remembered as a peace broker. But many Western leaders doubt Putin’s sincerity.
For now, Russia controls about a fifth of Ukraine. Talks may continue, but both war and peace remain on the table.
