A few days after the high-profile summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, the contours of Moscow’s latest proposal for ending the war in Ukraine have been revealed.
According to multiple sources cited by Reuters, the plan envisions sweeping concessions from Kyiv in exchange for limited Russian withdrawals, underscoring the stark divide between the Kremlin’s demands and Ukraine’s stated red lines.
Putin’s proposal
Under the proposal, Russia is insisting on full control of the Donbas region, which includes the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Moscow is demanding that Ukrainian forces withdraw entirely from the area.
In return, Russia has indicated that it would pull back its troops from certain occupied zones in the northeastern Sumy and Kharkiv regions and agree to “freeze” the frontlines in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday, where he will meet with Trump to discuss the emerging framework and its implications for the future of the conflict.
What remains unclear, however, is whether Putin’s proposal represents an opening bid designed to shape future negotiations or a final, non-negotiable offer from Moscow. Either way, it places Ukraine in a difficult position: accepting it would mean relinquishing sovereignty over large swaths of territory, while rejecting it risks prolonging a devastating war with no clear end in sight.
Kyiv’s red lines
For Kyiv, the proposal appears almost impossible to accept. Zelensky’s government has repeatedly made clear that no territorial concessions are on the table, including Donetsk, which Ukrainian officials view as essential to preventing further Russian incursions deeper into the country. The Russian plan also excludes an immediate cease-fire, instead requiring Ukraine to agree to all of Moscow’s conditions before hostilities are suspended.
This point is particularly contentious. Ukraine has consistently called for a cease-fire as a starting point for any negotiations, citing the relentless bombardment of its cities by Russian missiles and drones. Without such a halt to the fighting, Zelensky argues, the credibility of any agreement would be in doubt.
“Russia continues to reject repeated calls for a cease-fire and has not decided when to stop the killing,” Zelensky said in a late-night post on X. “If Moscow cannot give a simple order to end the attacks, how can we expect it to commit to something much bigger—peaceful coexistence for decades?”.
Crimea, NATO, and Security Guarantees
Beyond Donbas, Putin’s proposal includes demands for official recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that remains unrecognized by most of the international community. Sources told Reuters it was unclear whether the Kremlin expects this recognition to come from Washington alone or from Ukraine and its Western allies as well. For Kyiv and European capitals, any recognition of the annexation remains a nonstarter.
Moscow is also insisting that Ukraine abandon its pursuit of NATO membership. While Putin has suggested that alternative security guarantees for Ukraine could be discussed, Kyiv continues to view NATO accession as a strategic objective central to its long-term defense. European leaders briefed on the talks said Trump floated the idea of offering Ukraine a form of collective security outside of NATO, similar in principle to the alliance’s Article 5 defense commitment, which treats an attack on one member as an attack on all. Whether such an arrangement would satisfy Ukraine remains highly doubtful.
Language, Religion, and Influence
The Kremlin’s demands extend beyond territorial and security matters. According to the same sources, Moscow wants official status for the Russian language throughout Ukraine, or at least in parts of its territory, and guarantees that the Moscow-linked Orthodox Church can operate freely.
Kyiv, however, has accused the church of spreading pro-Russian propaganda and aiding Moscow’s war effort, charges the institution denies. Ukraine recently passed legislation restricting religious organizations with ties to Russia, further complicating this demand.
Trump and Zelensky Weigh the Path Forward
While the Alaska summit did not produce the cease-fire Trump reportedly hoped for, the U.S. president struck an optimistic tone in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. He said he and Putin had discussed territorial arrangements and security guarantees for Ukraine and claimed the two sides were “largely in agreement.” “I believe we are very close to a deal,” Trump said, adding that “Ukraine has to agree” to the plan. He conceded, however, that “maybe they will say no.”
For Zelensky, Moscow’s refusal to halt its attacks remains the central obstacle. With daily strikes devastating Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, the Ukrainian president has warned that any peace framework that does not start with a cease-fire risks being meaningless. As he prepares to meet Trump in Washington, Zelensky faces a delicate balancing act: securing Western support while firmly resisting pressure to cede territory that his government considers non-negotiable.
Whether Putin’s proposal marks the beginning of serious negotiations or simply another attempt to test Western unity remains to be seen. For now, Ukraine and its allies remain deeply skeptical, viewing the terms as heavily tilted in Moscow’s favor and unlikely to bring the durable peace the region so desperately needs.
Trump/Putin.
Here is the full press conference – 12 minutes.
No questions were taken.
It was very hospitable.
Now President Trump will call Zelensky and EU leaders to see if they actually want peace.pic.twitter.com/1NVNgUb9F9
— Dr Russell McGregor (@KillAuDeepState) August 16, 2025
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