Russia-Ukraine ceasefire talks: US President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine to strike a deal with Russia after his Alaska summit with Vladimir Putin, saying Moscow had offered to halt further advances if Kyiv ceded the entire Donetsk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has flatly rejected the demand, setting the stage for tense peace talks in Washington on Monday.

Trump Says ‘Russia Is a Very Big Power’

Trump, who held a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, said the best way forward was to pursue a peace agreement rather than a ceasefire. Speaking after the summit, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “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, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.”

In his call with Zelenskyy, Trump relayed that Putin had proposed freezing most of the frontline in exchange for Ukraine surrendering Donetsk, a heavily industrialised region that Russia has been targeting since the beginning of the full-scale war in February 2022. Russia already controls about 75 per cent of Donetsk and all of Luhansk, which together form the Donbas region. Trump also told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he and Putin had “largely agreed” on security guarantees for Ukraine, but admitted that Kyiv must “make a deal” to end the conflict. “Look, Russia is a very big power, and they’re not,” Trump said, referring to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy Rejects Donetsk Concession

Zelenskyy, however, signalled no shift in Ukraine’s position. He said giving up territory would require amending the Ukrainian constitution and would leave the country vulnerable to future attacks. “Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war,” Zelenskyy posted on X (formerly Twitter), adding that any peace deal must include binding international security guarantees. The Ukrainian president confirmed he would travel to Washington on Monday for direct talks with Trump. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters that European leaders are also expected to attend the White House meeting on Monday.

While European governments cautiously welcomed Trump’s diplomatic engagement, they reiterated their commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said an end to the war was “closer than ever” but warned that sanctions on Russia would intensify if Moscow continued its aggression. French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly told Trump during a Saturday call that Putin “could not be trusted,” citing Moscow’s repeated violations of earlier ceasefire agreements under the 2014–15 Minsk accords. Former German ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger was more scathing, writing on X, “Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, while Trump got nothing.”

What Russia Controls In Ukraine

Russia currently occupies about 19 per cent of Ukraine, roughly 114,500 sq km, including Crimea, annexed in 2014, all of Luhansk, most of Donetsk, large parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as well as smaller areas in Kharkiv and Sumy. Moscow claims these regions as part of the Russian Federation, though the United Nations has repeatedly declared such annexations illegal. Putin has also demanded that Ukraine abandon its NATO membership ambitions, remain militarily neutral, and provide protection for Russian-speaking communities.

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For Putin, the Alaska summit itself was a diplomatic win, marking his most high-profile meeting with a Western leader since the invasion began. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said no trilateral summit with Zelenskyy had been discussed, though Trump indicated such a meeting “could follow.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomed Trump’s openness to US involvement in long-term security guarantees for Ukraine, calling it “essential to any just and lasting peace.” Putin himself echoed the need to “ensure Ukraine’s security,” though without specifying how.

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Meanwhile, fighting continued unabated. Both Ukraine and Russia carried out overnight missile and drone strikes, while Russian forces captured two villages in Donetsk during Trump’s summit. With Trump set to host Zelenskyy in Washington, the coming days could determine whether the US president’s peace push gains traction or exposes deeper rifts between Kyiv and its allies.