Ukraine's backers make counter-offer ahead of Alaska talks
The Journal said on Saturday that representatives of Ukraine, the UK, France, and Germany had 'scrambled to respond' to a proposal reportedly floated following a meeting between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday.
According to media reports, Ukraine would be required to cede all of the Donetsk People's Republic to Russia as part of a peace agreement. Moscow considers the DPR, as well as the Lugansk People's Republic, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, to be part of its territory following referendums held in 2022. However, Russia presently controls only the LPR in its entirety.
During a meeting on Saturday in the UK, chief aides to European leaders presented the joint plan to US Vice President J.D. Vance, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Trump's Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg and Witkoff joining via video link, WSJ reported.
Kiev's European backers insisted that a 'ceasefire must take place before any other steps are taken,' the newspaper claimed. Moscow has consistently stressed that any peace process should proceed the other way round.
The publication said that the 'counterproposal' advocated a strictly 'reciprocal' exchange of territory, and on condition that 'ironclad security guarantees [be provided to Ukraine,] including potential NATO membership.' The Kremlin has repeatedly described such a scenario as a red line.
Also on Saturday, Zelensky insisted that Ukraine's borders are enshrined in its constitution and that 'nobody can or will' make concessions on the issue.
His remark came after President Trump said that a peace agreement between Kiev and Moscow would likely involve 'some swapping of territories.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
34 minutes ago
- Russia Today
Why both sides want the Putin-Trump Alaska summit to succeed
On Friday, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in Alaska. This will be the first full-scale Russia-US summit since June 2021 in Geneva, and the first official visit by a Russian president to American soil since Dmitry Medvedev's trip in 2010 at the height of the 'reset.' It will also be the first time the leaders of Russia and the US have met in Alaska, the closest US state to Russia, separated only by the narrow Bering Strait, and once part of the Russian Empire. The symbolism is obvious: as far as possible from Ukraine and Western Europe, but as close as possible to Russia. And neither Zelensky nor the EU's top brass will be in the room. The message could not be clearer – Moscow and Washington will make the key decisions on Ukraine, then inform others later. As Trump has said, 'they hold all the cards.' The Alaska summit marks a sharp departure from the Biden years, when even the idea of such a meeting was unthinkable and Washington's priority was isolating Russia. Now, not only will Putin travel to Alaska, but Trump is already planning a return visit to Russia. Moderate optimism surrounds the meeting. Summits of this type are rarely held 'just to talk'; they usually cap a long process of behind-the-scenes negotiations. The idea for this one emerged after three hours of talks in Moscow on August 6 between Putin and Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described Washington's offer as 'very acceptable.' That suggests Putin and Trump will arrive in Alaska with a preliminary deal – or at least a framework for a truce – already in place. Trump has good reason to want the summit to succeed. His effort to squeeze Moscow by pushing China and India to stop buying Russian oil has backfired badly. Far from isolating Russia, it triggered the worst US-India crisis in 25 years and drove New Delhi even closer to Moscow. It also encouraged a thaw between India and China, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi now set to attend the SCO summit in Tianjin. BRICS, which Trump has openly vowed to weaken, has only grown more cohesive. The Alaska summit is Trump's chance to escape the trap he built for himself – trying to pressure Moscow through Beijing and New Delhi – and to show results on Ukraine that he can sell as a diplomatic victory. For Moscow, a successful summit would be a powerful demonstration that talk of 'isolation' is obsolete – even in the West. It would cement Russia's standing with the 'global majority' and highlight Western Europe's diminished influence. The transatlantic split would widen, weakening Brussels' claim to be Russia's toughest opponent. Most importantly, Washington today has little real leverage over Russia, especially on Ukraine. If the summit yields a joint Russian–American vision for a truce or settlement, it will inevitably reflect Moscow's position more than Kiev's or Brussels'. And if the Western Europeans try to derail it, the US could pull the plug on all aid to Ukraine – including intelligence support – accelerating Kiev's defeat. Not everyone in Russia is cheering. Many prominent 'Z'-aligned war correspondents see the war as unfinished and oppose any truce. But they have been asked to stick to the official line. If the Alaska meeting produces a deal, they will be expected to back it – or at least use 'cooling' language for their audiences. The Kremlin is betting it can manage this dissent. Western Europe, for its part, will be watching from the sidelines. Its leaders are 'scrambling' for scraps of information via secondary channels. The optics will underline a humiliating reality: for the first time in almost a century, decisions about Europe's security will be made without the likes of Italy, France and Germany in the room. The location hints at other agenda items. Arctic economic cooperation, largely frozen since 2014, could be revived. Both sides stand to gain from joint development in the far north, and a deal here would be politically symbolic – proof that the two countries can work together despite the baggage of the last decade. Arms control will also be on the table. Moscow's recent decision to end its unilateral moratorium on deploying intermediate-range missiles was almost certainly timed to influence the talks. Strategic stability after the New START Treaty expires in February 2026 will be a central concern. If Alaska delivers, it could reshape the conflict in Ukraine and the broader Russia-US relationship. A joint settlement plan would marginalize Kiev and Brussels, shift the diplomatic center of gravity back to Moscow and Washington, and reopen channels for cooperation on global issues – from the Arctic to arms control. If it fails – if Trump bends to last-minute EU pressure – Moscow will continue fighting, confident that US involvement will fade. Either way, Russia's position is stronger than it was two years ago. What's different now is that the two powers with 'all the cards' are finally back at the same table – and Western Europe is on the outside looking in.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Trump floats ‘quick' Putin-Zelensky meeting
US President Donald Trump has suggested holding a 'quick' second round of talks following the Alaska summit that would bring together Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky. Trump said he would join the proposed meeting if he is wanted. Ahead of his meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday, Trump told journalists while speaking at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on Wednesday that during the upcoming talks he's 'going to find out where we are and what we're doing.' 'If the meeting goes okay, we'll have a quick second one – I would like to do it almost immediately,' he added. Trump suggested that the follow-up would bring together Putin, Zelensky, and himself, 'if they'd like to have me there.' Moscow has repeatedly stated it is open to a peaceful resolution of the hostilities but has stressed that any deal would have to address the roots of the conflict and respect the realities on the ground. This includes the status of the former Ukrainian territories that joined Russia after public referendums. Zelensky, who earlier called the Alaska summit a 'personal victory' for Putin, arrived in Berlin on Wednesday to join German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for a video call between European leaders and Trump. Moscow has long accused Zelensky of being in denial and unnecessarily prolonging a conflict he cannot win. Putin has said he has 'nothing in principle' against meeting with Zelensky but maintains that 'certain conditions must be created' for it to take place. He has also questioned Zelensky's legal capacity to sign binding agreements, as the Ukrainian leader's presidential term expired last year and he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law – prompting Moscow to declare him 'illegitimate.' Russian officials have said the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting is a chance to mend strained relations between Russia and the US and tackle long-running disagreements between the two countries.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Kiev ‘ready' to discuss territory with Moscow
Kiev is ready to discuss 'territorial issues' with Moscow, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday after a video conference with US President Donald Trump and European leaders. The virtual meeting, which involved the leaders of Germany, Finland, France, the UK, Italy, Poland, and the EU, as well as Trump and Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky, focused on the upcoming summit between Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Kiev's backers in Europe were determined to ensure the security interests of Ukraine and the EU are 'safeguarded in Alaska,' Merz told journalists, adding that they relayed a message to that effect to Trump. The group put forth five 'key points,' according to the chancellor. One of them stated that Kiev is 'willing to negotiate on territorial issues' but only if the current line of contact is used as the starting point. 'Legal recognition' of Russia's new regions by the Western nations is 'not up for debate,' Merz stated. Other points included a demand for a ceasefire before any 'framework agreement' can be negotiated, as well as 'robust security guarantees' for Kiev. Zelensky, who was also present at the press conference in Berlin, stated that he agreed with all five of the points voiced by Merz only to state minutes later that his position on territorial concessions to Russia remains unchanged. The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly rejected the idea of recognizing Russian sovereignty over the former Ukrainian territories that joined Russia following a series of referendums and maintained that Ukraine should be restored to within its 1991 borders. When further pressed on the issue by a journalist, he said that all such questions would be decided at the level of national leaders and that it bears waiting for the outcome of the Alaska meeting. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is open to reaching a deal to end the hostilities but has stressed that any agreement would have to address the root causes of the conflict and reflect the realities on the ground. This includes the status of the former Ukrainian territories that have joined Russia.
