Zelensky refused to hand over Donbas to Russia in exchange for a ceasefire – Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to hand over the entire Donbas territory to Moscow in exchange for a halt in hostilities along the front line.

This was reported by the international news agency Reuters, citing yesterday’s conversation between the Ukrainian leader and U.S. President Donald Trump, following Trump’s meeting with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

“The Russian leader (during yesterday’s talks with Trump — Ed.) proposed freezing most of the front lines if Kyiv’s forces ceded the whole Donetsk region. Zelensky rejected this demand, a source said,” the note stated.

It should be recalled that even before the Alaska talks, Zelensky had already rejected signals from Washington suggesting that Russia was prepared for a ceasefire in exchange for the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donetsk region.

Recently, media reports indicated that the Ukrainian president learned about discussions of a possible territorial exchange even before Trump publicly voiced the idea.

Yesterday in Alaska, Trump and Putin held a meeting. The American leader stated that they had reached agreement on many points of a possible deal and that further decisions now depended on the president of Ukraine. After the talks, Trump called Zelensky and European leaders. The Ukrainian president said that the White House chief had invited him to Washington to discuss details of an agreement aimed at resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.