Anna Hartz
Putin Lays Out Peace Demands to Trump in Alaska Meeting
For centuries, peace deals have often been decided behind closed doors. Leaders meet in quiet rooms, talk for hours, and then walk out with decisions that can shape the lives of millions.
That is what happened this week in Alaska, where Vladimir Putin sat down with Donald Trump and made a new proposal for Ukraine.
The Demands
According to international press reports, the Russian president put forward a long list of demands.
He asked for formal recognition of Russia’s control over the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, writes Ziare.
In return, he promised to withdraw from the Sumy and Kharkiv regions. He also demanded a freeze on fighting in the Kherson and Zaporozhye areas.
Crimea was also on the table. Putin wants recognition of Russia’s control over the peninsula, which it annexed back in 2014.
He also pushed for the lifting of Western economic sanctions that have strained the Russian economy since the war began.
Another key demand was tied to NATO. Putin wants a clear prohibition of Ukraine ever joining the alliance.
He also called for recognition of Russian as an official language, either in certain Ukrainian regions or across the country.
In addition, he demanded expanded freedoms for the Russian Orthodox Church.
What Now?
Putin’s plan does not include an immediate ceasefire. He said the guns would only fall silent after a full agreement was signed that satisfied Moscow.
At the end of the Alaska meeting, Putin invited Trump to visit Moscow. Soon after, Trump held phone calls with European leaders and NATO officials.
Reports suggest they showed openness to his effort to pursue peace talks.
The next step may involve Ukraine’s president. Trump is now weighing a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Vice President J.D. Vance is also expected to take part. If the talks go forward, it could lead to a trilateral meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and Putin.
For now, the world waits. Peace could be on the horizon. Or the war could grind on. Much depends on whether Ukraine accepts the deal that Putin has placed on the table.
