Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to halt the war in Ukraine as part of his peace talks with the Trump administration, according to a report from Financial Times.
Why It Matters
Along the campaign trail, U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly pledged to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office, but peace talks have failed to progress beyond two temporary and partial ceasefires.
The president has become increasingly frustrated with the process and Trump officials have suggested the U.S. may abandon peace negotiations if they do not come to a viable conclusion soon. It's unclear if that would also mean ending American military aid to Ukraine, which is essential to its defense.
What To Know
Putin reportedly told U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff during their meeting in St. Petersburg earlier this month that he was willing to stop the war at the current front line.
That would mean that Moscow would relinquish its claims over four partly occupied Ukrainian areas that remain under Kyiv's control, the Times reported.
It is the first time the Russian leader has shown any willingness to back down from his more extreme demands for a peace deal. These have included: replacing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky; ordering Ukraine to stay neutral and give up ambitions of joining NATO; and mandating recognition of Russian claims over all annexed territories.
In exchange, Trump's administration officials have suggested, the United States would recognize Russian ownership of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, sources told the Times. It would also acknowledge Russia's control over the regions it currently holds.
Zelensky has said Kyiv would not cede any territory, including Crimea, to Russia as part of a peace deal. He also said on Tuesday that he hasn't had any proposals from the Trump administration outlining specific steps toward ending the war.
Other U.S. proposals reportedly included deploying a European peacekeeping force to Ukraine, as well as a military force unconnected to NATO to monitor the ceasefire along the front line. Ukraine would also have to agree not to attempt retaking Russian-occupied territory by force, while Moscow must stop its advance on Ukraine.
Russia has rejected some of the suggestions, like military presence for NATO countries in Ukraine, but sources told the Times that Putin would be willing to pull back on demands he made just last year for full control over four front-line regions in Ukraine; Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
Russia has retreated from some of those regions since it occupied them in 2022, and does not fully control any of them. In return, Putin wants its control of Crimea recognized internationally and an agreement that Ukraine is barred from joining NATO.
Apr 22, 2025
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