Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that Ukraine leave the Donetsk region as a condition to end the war. In return, he offered to freeze the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

The Financial Times reported this on Saturday, citing four people with direct knowledge of the talks. Putin made the demand during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday.

Putin returns to U.S. after a decade

This was Putin’s first visit to the United States in ten years. It was also his first trip to a Western country since launching the Ukraine invasion in 2022. The war pushed U.S.-Russia relations to their lowest point since the Cold War. It also triggered tough sanctions and widespread global efforts to isolate Russia.

Talks end without breakthrough

The Alaska meeting lasted three hours but brought no breakthrough. However, Trump and European leaders agreed on the need for a new summit that would include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky will now travel to Washington on Monday. Meanwhile, European leaders signaled readiness to increase sanctions on Russia after Trump briefed them about the discussions.

Trump insists on peace deal

Trump struck an upbeat note after the meeting. On Truth Social, he wrote: “a great and very successful day in Alaska!” He added that European leaders supported his idea of another summit.

The U.S. president stressed that a peace agreement was the only real solution. He explained, “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, which would end the war, and not a mere ceasefire agreement, which often times do not hold up.”