Russia proposes to Trump to end war in Ukraine

Russia would relinquish tiny pockets of occupied Ukraine and Kyiv would cede swathes of its eastern land which Moscow has been unable to capture. This is an option for ending the war that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump discussed during a meeting in Alaska, Reuters writes, referring to its sources.

According to the report, Putin’s proposal includes several key points:

The Ukrainian army withdraws from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while Russia returns the territories it has occupied in Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

Crimea should be recognized as sovereign Russian territory.

Ukraine’s membership in NATO is ruled out.

The Russian language is granted official status in parts of Ukraine, or possibly nationwide, and the Russian Orthodox Church is given the right to operate freely.

The Russian side insists that the war can only be brought to an end through the signing of a comprehensive agreement.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected the idea of a territorial swap, stressing that such an arrangement would contradict the country’s Constitution.