Donald Trump will reportedly support a plan to cede unoccupied Ukrainian territory to Russia to end the war, according to leaked details of a post-summit call with European leaders. The New York Times reported that Trump told European leaders he believes a peace deal could be negotiated if Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agrees to give up the Donbas region, which Russian forces have failed to fully capture in over three years of fighting.
Two senior European officials cited by the Guardian said Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded Ukraine withdraw from Donbas—comprising Donetsk and Luhansk—as a condition for ending the war, while offering Trump a freeze along the remaining frontline. Although Luhansk is almost entirely under Russian control, Ukraine still holds key parts of Donetsk, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Trump’s support for ceding the mineral-rich Donbas region marks a break with Ukraine and European allies, who oppose such a deal. The US president has voiced support for moving directly to a peace agreement rather than a ceasefire, which he said “often times do not hold up” in a social media post on Saturday.
As part of a potential deal, the US is ready to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump has threatened economic penalties on countries that buy Russian oil if Moscow refuses a deal, and flew US bombers over Russia as Putin arrived in Alaska.
Ukrainian and European leaders fear a straight-to-peace deal gives Moscow an advantage. Zelenskyy is expected in Washington on Monday to meet Trump. A joint statement from European leaders said they are “ready to work” towards a trilateral summit but emphasised that “it will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory” and that “international borders must not be changed by force.”
Zelenskyy stated that “a real peace must be achieved… not just another pause between Russian invasions,” and warned that skipping a ceasefire “complicates the situation.” European leaders including Macron, Merz and Starmer are set to discuss the issues with Zelenskyy on Sunday via video call ahead of his meeting with Trump.
