In a move that could reshape the course of the war in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump has backed a proposal for Kyiv to give up the Donbas region to Russia in return for a peace settlement. The plan, discussed with European leaders, departs sharply from the position of Ukraine and its Western allies, who insist no territory should be ceded by force.
Zelenskyy is expected in Washington on Monday for talks with Trump. Ahead of that meeting, European leaders including Macron, Merz and Starmer are due to speak with him by video call on Sunday.
Trump told leaders he believed a peace deal could be reached if Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to cede Donbas. The region, made up of Donetsk and Luhansk, has been the focus of fighting for more than three years, reported The Guardian citing the New York Times.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine withdraw from Donbas as a condition for ending the war. In return, he offered to freeze the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces occupy large areas.
Luhansk is almost entirely under Russian control, but Ukraine continues to defend key parts of Donetsk, including the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. These strongholds, along with heavily fortified positions, have cost tens of thousands of lives to hold. Donbas is also rich in coal and iron ore.
Trump has argued that it is better to move directly to a peace agreement rather than negotiate a ceasefire. “Often times [ceasefires] do not hold up,” he wrote on social media Saturday. He has also threatened economic penalties on countries buying Russian oil if Moscow refuses a deal and ordered US bombers to fly over Putin as he arrived in Alaska.
The plan represents a sharp break with Ukraine and European allies, who reject ceding territory. European leaders warned that skipping a ceasefire would hand Moscow an advantage in talks. German chancellor Friedrich Merz said the US was prepared to take part in security guarantees for Ukraine, reported The Guardian.
A joint statement by European leaders said, “It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.” The declaration, signed by Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Giorgia Meloni, Friedrich Merz, Keir Starmer, Alexander Stubb, Donald Tusk and António Costa, added that they “welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.”
Zelenskyy responded that any peace deal must be “lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions.”
He called for the release of Ukrainian prisoners and civilians, as well as the return of children taken by Russia. In a post later on X, he warned that bypassing a ceasefire “complicates the situation,” adding, “If Moscow lacks the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades.”
Zelenskyy is expected in Washington on Monday for talks with Trump. Ahead of that meeting, European leaders including Macron, Merz and Starmer are due to speak with him by video call on Sunday.
Trump told leaders he believed a peace deal could be reached if Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to cede Donbas. The region, made up of Donetsk and Luhansk, has been the focus of fighting for more than three years, reported The Guardian citing the New York Times.
Russian president Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine withdraw from Donbas as a condition for ending the war. In return, he offered to freeze the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces occupy large areas.
Luhansk is almost entirely under Russian control, but Ukraine continues to defend key parts of Donetsk, including the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. These strongholds, along with heavily fortified positions, have cost tens of thousands of lives to hold. Donbas is also rich in coal and iron ore.
Trump has argued that it is better to move directly to a peace agreement rather than negotiate a ceasefire. “Often times [ceasefires] do not hold up,” he wrote on social media Saturday. He has also threatened economic penalties on countries buying Russian oil if Moscow refuses a deal and ordered US bombers to fly over Putin as he arrived in Alaska.
The plan represents a sharp break with Ukraine and European allies, who reject ceding territory. European leaders warned that skipping a ceasefire would hand Moscow an advantage in talks. German chancellor Friedrich Merz said the US was prepared to take part in security guarantees for Ukraine, reported The Guardian.
A joint statement by European leaders said, “It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory. International borders must not be changed by force.” The declaration, signed by Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Giorgia Meloni, Friedrich Merz, Keir Starmer, Alexander Stubb, Donald Tusk and António Costa, added that they “welcomed President Trump’s efforts to stop the killing in Ukraine, end Russia’s war of aggression, and achieve just and lasting peace.”
Thank you for the support! All the points mentioned are important to achieve a truly sustainable and reliable peace. We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing. This complicates the situation. If they lack… pic.twitter.com/bkTXwjMSnX
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 16, 2025
Zelenskyy responded that any peace deal must be “lasting, not just another pause between Russian invasions.”
He called for the release of Ukrainian prisoners and civilians, as well as the return of children taken by Russia. In a post later on X, he warned that bypassing a ceasefire “complicates the situation,” adding, “If Moscow lacks the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater – peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades.”
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