Reuters reports a draft of Putin’s proposal to end the Ukraine war, slated for an Alaskan summit, prompting a sharp response from a Ukrainian lawmaker.
Vladimir Putin’s Offer to Ukraine
Reuters described a draft of Putin’s proposal to end the war, stating that Russia would give up small pockets of occupied territory while Kyiv would cede large areas in its eastern regions. Russia would return occupied areas in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions, while Kyiv would withdraw entirely from Donetsk and Luhansk in exchange for a frozen front line in the southern Chernihiv and Zaporizhzhia regions. Kyiv had earlier rejected any retreat from Donbas, and the offer also excluded a ceasefire until a comprehensive agreement—contrary to Zelensky’s demands.
More Than That
Reuters also reports that the Russian leader sought formal recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014, and wanted at least partial lifting of sanctions imposed on Russia. Ukraine would also be barred from joining NATO, although sources noted that Putin seemed open to granting Kyiv a form of security guarantee. Sources claim Russia would demand official status for the Russian language across Ukraine and freedom for the Russian Orthodox Church.
Kyiv’s Response
“That would be entirely unacceptable if Kyiv relinquished its eastern regions for a peace deal,” said a senior Ukrainian politician in an interview with Newsweek. “Kyiv’s acceptance of losing Donetsk and Luhansk is politically and militarily exclusionary,” asserted Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the Ukrainian parliamentary foreign affairs committee and a member of President Zelensky’s party. He described the offer as a “provocation” that Ukraine cannot accept.
