Trump Shifts Stance After Putin Summit, Backs Ukraine Land Cession for 'Peace'

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – The highly anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday concluded without a formal peace deal, but not before a dramatic shift in the diplomatic landscape surrounding the Ukraine war. Emerging from nearly three hours of talks, President Trump reportedly embraced a path to a "peace agreement" that could involve Ukraine ceding territory to Russia, a significant departure from his previous insistence on an immediate ceasefire. This development has sent ripples of concern through Kyiv and European capitals.

At the heart of the contentious discussions were Vladimir Putin's unwavering demands for an end to the conflict. The Russian leader insisted on Ukraine surrendering full control of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, alongside core demands for Ukraine to become a neutral state, abandon its NATO aspirations, and for international sanctions against Russia to be lifted. In a reported concession, Putin offered to freeze the frontlines in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia if Kyiv met his demands concerning Donbas. President Trump, according to sources close to the meeting, appeared to endorse this approach as a means to swiftly conclude the war, even suggesting a move directly to a peace agreement rather than a potentially fleeting ceasefire. This strategic pivot by the U.S. president is set to be a central point of discussion when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets with Trump in Washington D.C. on Monday.

The shift by the American delegation has been met with dismay in Kyiv. Ukrainian officials, who have consistently rejected any territorial concessions, view the proposition as a "stab in the back," emphasizing that all issues concerning Ukraine must be discussed with its participation and that no territorial decisions can be made without Kyiv's consent. European leaders, including those from the UK, France, and Germany, while welcoming efforts to end the war and acknowledging the potential for U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, have firmly reiterated that international borders must not be altered by force. This sentiment underscores a growing fissure within the transatlantic alliance, as Moscow celebrates what it perceives as a diplomatic victory and renewed legitimacy on the world stage without making significant concessions.

The path forward appears fraught with challenges. While President Trump expresses optimism for a rapid peace deal, the deeply entrenched positions of Ukraine and Russia, coupled with the varied reactions from international allies, suggest that any lasting resolution remains a distant prospect.