Russia demands Donetsk as key to peace deal

According to the report, Donald Trump has not publicly commented on this demand, nor did he endorse Russia’s position during his recent meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart. The U.S. president plans to meet with Putin in Hungary in the coming weeks to continue discussions on possible ways to end the war.

Sources familiar with the talks said that during a phone call between Trump and Putin, the Russian president stated that he was willing to relinquish control over parts of two other Ukrainian provinces—Zaporizhzhia and Kherson—in exchange for complete control of Donetsk. This proposal marks a modest step back from Russia’s broader territorial claims in Ukraine, and some White House officials view it as a sign of progress in the negotiations.

According to the same sources, Steve Witcoff, Trump’s envoy, pressured the Ukrainian delegation during a meeting last Friday (October 17) to concede Donetsk, echoing the Kremlin’s argument that the region is predominantly Russian-speaking.

For many Ukrainians—including President Volodymyr Zelensky—the Russian language has historically been their first language. However, speaking Russian in Ukraine has not traditionally been a sign of sympathy toward Moscow. Since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, Ukrainians have increasingly shifted toward using the Ukrainian language.

On the other hand, the Ukrainian side has confirmed Trump’s request for a ceasefire along the current lines of contact before holding talks on a permanent end to the war. Privately, Ukrainian officials have indicated their willingness to accept Russia’s current territorial holdings in practice, provided they receive strong security guarantees from Washington and European partners to deter Moscow from resuming hostilities.