Donald Trump has reportedly expressed support for a peace plan that would require Ukraine to cede unoccupied parts of the Donbas region to Russia, according to details leaked from a post-summit call with European leaders. The New York Times, citing senior European officials, reported that Trump told European leaders he believed a deal could be negotiated if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to give up the Donbas, which includes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Two sources with direct knowledge of the talks told The Guardian that Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded Ukraine withdraw from Donbas as a condition for ending the war. In exchange, Putin offered to freeze the frontline in the southern Ukrainian regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces hold significant territory. Ukraine still controls key parts of Donetsk, including the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Trump’s support for ceding the Donbas, which is rich in coal and iron ore, marks a departure from the positions of Ukraine and its European allies. Trump has advocated moving straight to a peace deal rather than a ceasefire, which he said in a social media post “often times do not hold up.” The US is reportedly willing to be part of security guarantees for Ukraine, as confirmed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
European leaders, however, have expressed concern that skipping a ceasefire gives Moscow an advantage. A joint statement from leaders including Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, and Keir Starmer 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 is expected in Washington on Monday to meet with Trump.
