Putin agreed to end the war if Ukraine cedes all of Luhansk and Donetsk regions – Axios

Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to end the war if Ukraine agrees to cede the entire territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

This was reported by Axios, citing sources familiar with negotiations between U.S. presidential representative Stephen Witkoff and NATO country officials.

According to the outlet, such plans have raised concerns in both Kyiv and Europe.

“Some participants in the conversation got the impression” that Putin agreed to give up his claims to the entire territory of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Witkoff stated that “Putin agreed to freeze Russia’s current positions in these regions. This would leave a significant portion of both regions under Russian occupation, including the strategic Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.”

The report notes that these initiatives are being met with caution in Ukraine and Europe.

“Ukraine and several NATO allies are privately concerned that Trump may agree to Putin’s proposals to end the war without taking their positions into account,” the article says.

Ukrainian officials say they do not understand the details of Russia’s proposal or the U.S. position. An official from Kyiv stated that even if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to Putin’s demands, he would have to hold a referendum “because he cannot cede territory under Ukraine’s constitution.”

Senior officials from the U.S., Ukraine, and several European countries are also planning to meet in the UK this weekend “to try to reach common positions.” The logistics of the meeting, including who will participate, are still under discussion.

As a reminder, U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that he will meet with Putin next Friday in Alaska.