Trump Backing Putin's Ukraine Land Plan –

In a High-Stakes Summit, Trump Hands Putin a Victory Without a Fight

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Remind me next month

U.S. President Donald Trump backs a Russian proposal for Moscow to take full control of two Ukrainian regions and freeze the front line in two others which Moscow only partially controls, a

The

"Trump is inclined to support it," the

Trump on Saturday spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders about his talks Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The Ukrainian president refused to leave Donbas," the

Zelensky has rejected any territorial concessions, saying he is bound

The New York Times also cited two senior European officials saying Trump supported Putin's plan "to end the war in Ukraine

The Financial Times reported that Putin had told Trump that "he could freeze the rest of the front line if his core demands were met" and the message had been relayed directly

"But de facto it all will depend on Putin's word of honor," the

Several months into its invasion of Ukraine, Russia in September 2022 claimed to have annexed all four Ukrainian regions even though its troops still do not fully control any of them.

Russian forces now occupy almost all of the Luhansk region and most of the Donetsk region, including their regional capitals.

That is not the case for Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, where the main hubs are still under Ukrainian control.

Russia previously annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014.

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The

We, the

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.