Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly told U.S. President Donald Trump that Ukraine must cede more territory if peace is to be achieved, a move that sets the stage for high-stakes Oval Office talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday.
According to sources familiar with Friday’s closed-door summit in Alaska, Putin insisted that Moscow should gain full control of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including areas still under Kyiv’s authority. In return, Russia would freeze the front lines elsewhere.
The Russian leader is said to have framed the demand as a necessary step to “end the war.” Kyiv, however, has consistently rejected any territorial concessions. Zelensky has repeatedly declared that Ukraine will not surrender sovereignty or land under any circumstances.
The Alaska talks ended without a breakthrough, leaving Trump caught between Moscow’s demands and Kyiv’s defiance. His upcoming meeting with Zelensky at the White House is expected to center on U.S. security guarantees, continued military assistance, and Washington’s role in any potential peace settlement.
Western officials have voiced concern that Putin’s position amounts to an ultimatum, one that would cement Russian control over occupied territory while undermining international law. For Trump, who has long pledged to end the war swiftly if reelected, the encounter with Putin may be presented as a step toward a possible ceasefire.
“The message from Moscow was clear, this is what they want in exchange for peace,” one person briefed on the discussions told reporters.
Zelensky is expected to arrive in Washington determined to push back. In recent weeks, he has warned that rewarding Russia with Ukrainian land would only encourage further aggression.
The White House talks between Trump and Zelensky are now seen as a critical test of U.S. diplomacy, with global implications for the future of the war.
