Can Donetsk and Luhansk decide Ukraine's fate? Putin names his price at Alaska Summit with Trump, Zelenskyy pushes back

During a three-hour summit in Anchorage, Russian President Vladimir Putin pressed for Ukraine to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk, according to reports from the Financial Times and The Guardian. He told U.S. President Donald Trump that he would halt further advances and freeze the fighting in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia if his “core demands” were accepted.

Putin said his goal was to “resolve the root causes” of the conflict. For Moscow, those root causes include blocking NATO’s eastward expansion and reshaping Ukraine’s statehood.

The Russian leader signalled he would compromise on some issues, but not on control of the Donbas. Russia already occupies almost all of Luhansk and about 70 per cent of Donetsk. However, Kyiv still holds strategic cities such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, heavily fortified at huge human cost.

Trump relays the message
Donald Trump conveyed the proposal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and to European leaders in a call the following day. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

According to a source familiar with the matter, as told to AFP, US President Donald Trump is considering a Russian proposal that would give Moscow full control of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine. The proposal also suggests freezing the front lines in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, areas Russia only partially controls.

The source, speaking to AFP, stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin is essentially demanding Ukraine give up the Donbas region, which includes Donetsk and Lugansk. "Trump is inclined to support it," the source said.

On Saturday, Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders following discussions with Putin on Friday. According to the source, "The Ukrainian president refused to leave Donbas." Zelensky has maintained that he cannot concede any territory, citing Ukraine's constitution. However, he has not dismissed the possibility of a meeting with Trump and Putin to discuss the matter.

He added: “If all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin.”

Trump urged Zelenskyy to “make a deal” with Russia, advising European leaders to drop their push for a ceasefire.

Zelenskyy’s firm response
Zelenskyy rejected any deal involving the loss of territory. Speaking after his call with Trump, he said:
“In my conversation with President Trump, I said that sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war. Sanctions are an effective tool. Security must be guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the US. All issues important to Ukraine must be discussed with Ukraine’s participation, and no issue, particularly territorial ones, can be decided without Ukraine.”

Sources familiar with his thinking noted that Zelenskyy remains open to talks with Trump in Washington and is not opposed to a three-way summit with Putin, provided Ukraine has a seat at the table.

European allies on alert
European leaders had already expressed unease before the Alaska talks, after Trump suggested “land swaps” could be part of a deal. They were reassured when he promised to demand a Russian ceasefire as a preliminary step. But the summit ended without such a commitment.

Instead, Putin gained an opportunity to present his terms directly while being welcomed with a red carpet and even light exchanges with Trump, despite facing an International Criminal Court warrant for war crimes.

Britain, France and Germany have since called a video conference with Ukraine’s allies to align their positions before Zelenskyy’s U.S. visit. They reaffirmed that “Ukraine’s borders must not be altered through force” and gave cautious backing to a potential three-way summit.

What’s at stake in Donbas
The Donetsk and Luhansk regions, collectively known as the Donbas, have been at the centre of Russia’s ambitions since 2014. Ukraine’s remaining positions in Donetsk are vital for its defence lines. Relinquishing them would not only mean uprooting tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians but also hand Russia greater leverage for future offensives.

Recent Russian advances near Dobropilia have heightened pressure on the front. Ukrainian officials downplayed the movements as minor infiltrations, but local sources warned of growing vulnerabilities after months of sustained assaults. Reinforcements have since been dispatched.

Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in question
Moscow has offered to freeze its frontline in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, but both regions remain contested. Russia controls about two-thirds of each, though Zaporizhzhia city and significant parts of Kherson are still in Ukrainian hands. For Kyiv, conceding these areas would mean losing major population centres and industrial hubs. Zelenskyy has argued repeatedly that giving up land would only embolden Moscow, citing the annexation of Crimea in 2014 as a precedent.

Putin has shown no sign of abandoning his territorial claims. Russia’s constitution now lists Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia as part of its territory, underscoring the Kremlin’s long-term aims.

Whether Washington, Kyiv and European capitals can find common ground remains unclear. For now, Zelenskyy’s Washington visit and the upcoming European coordination talks are expected to set the tone for what comes next in a war that shows no sign of ending soon.