According to Reference News, on August 16th, Reuters quoted a report from the Financial Times stating that Russian President Putin had requested Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donetsk region in the east as a condition to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He also informed U.S. President Trump that if his core demands were met, Russia could suspend fighting in other areas along the front line. The Financial Times, citing four people with knowledge of the situation, said Putin made this request during his meeting with Trump in Alaska on the 15th. The report also stated that as a condition for gaining control of the Donetsk region, Putin indicated he would suspend fighting in southern areas such as Kherson and Zaporizhia.
Additionally, according to a report by France Presse on August 16th, sources close to the matter disclosed to the agency that U.S. President Trump supported Russia’s proposal to fully control two Ukrainian states and freeze the front lines in two other states under its partial control. Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Zelensky and European leaders on the 16th to discuss the contents of his meeting with Putin on the 15th. A source said, “The Ukrainian president refused to abandon the Donbas.” Zelensky ruled out territorial concessions citing constitutional limitations, but did not rule out the possibility of discussing the topic in a U.S.-Russia-Ukraine tripartite meeting. (Video source: CCTV International News)