Trump backs Putin’s Donbas proposal after Alaska meeting, Ukraine pushes back

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that Moscow take full control of Ukraine’s Donbas region while freezing front lines elsewhere in exchange for ending the war, according to a European diplomat cited by Fox News. Former US President Donald Trump, who recently met Putin in Alaska, is said to support the plan and has urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept.

The Donbas, comprising Luhansk and Donetsk with a pre-war population of 6.5 million, has been at the centre of fighting since Russia’s 2014 annexation attempts. Moscow currently controls nearly all of Luhansk and around 70% of Donetsk.

After his meeting with Putin, Trump shifted from backing a ceasefire to seeking a longer-term peace agreement. “Some swapping of territories” could be involved, Trump told allies, with Kyiv expected to surrender its remaining hold over parts of the Donbas under the proposal. Putin also signaled willingness to freeze fighting in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Zelensky, however, firmly rejected the offer, warning that ceding the Donbas would embolden Moscow and serve as a launchpad for future offensives. “Ukraine will not abandon Donbas,” he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Russian forces pressed ahead with their summer offensive, making a rapid advance of about 10 kilometers near the eastern town of Dobropillya.

The diplomatic maneuvering underscores deep divisions: while Moscow pushes for a settlement on its terms and Trump presses Kyiv to compromise, Zelensky insists Ukraine will not trade territory for peace.