Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his conditions to end the war with Ukraine. He has demanded that Ukraine leave the eastern Donbas region, abandon the ambitions to join NATO, remain neutral and keep Western soldiers out of the country. Three sources familiar with Kremlin gave this information to the Reuters.
The Russian President met Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday (August 15, 2025), where it was the first Russia-US summit after more than four years. According to sources, the possible agreement on Ukraine was discussed most of the time in a close room meeting of about three hours. After the meeting, Putin, who was standing with Trump, said that the talks can open the path of peace in Ukraine, but the two leaders did not make the details of the conversation public. The three sources gave information on the condition of anonymity due to being a sensitive issue.
Russian proposal ‘adjusted’ with the demands of June 2024
According to sources, Putin has softened the stance compared to the entire sacrifice of Donatsk, Luhansk (Overall Donbas), Kherason and Zaporizia. In the new proposal, Russia wants Ukraine toilet from the remaining parts of Donbas, while the existing fronts in Zaporizia and Kherason should be ‘stabilized’. According to American assessment and open-source maps, Russia controls about 88% of Donbas and 73% of Zaporizia-Khergason. According to sources, as part of the Moscow agreement, the small parts of the Kharkiv, Sumi and Dnipetrovsk are ready to return to Ukraine.
Ban on NATO, army restrictions and Western soldiers
There has been no change in Putin’s other conditions. These conditions states that Ukraine leaves the desire to join NATO, give a legal guarantee of NATO to grow and not moving, the Ukrainian army should be some limits and western ground soldiers should not be deployed in Ukraine even in the name of peace and protection.
Keev’s trend- “Sovereign will not back down from the territory”
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment on the proposal. President Volodimir Jailonsky has repeatedly made it clear that it is not possible to retreat from internationally recognized Ukrainian land. In his words, “We cannot do it only if it is being talked about extending from the east … It is a question of the existence of our country, including the strongest defense line.” Going to NATO is the strategic goal recorded in the constitution of his country and Jailonsky says- Russia will not decide on membership.
White House and NATO silence
There was no immediate response from the White House and NATO to the Russian proposals. According to Rand Corporation’s Russian-Fremmia Policy Chair Samuel Charap, both political and strategic is non-acceptable to the political and strategic condition for the return condition of Ukrainian return to Ukrainian. He said that “openness for such ‘peace’, which is clearly unacceptable for the other side, can also be performed for Trump, the way of knowing the real intention is the work-tie-level intensive conversation.”
Trump said- “Putin wants to see it finishing”
According to American and Open-SUS estimates, Russia currently occupies almost fifth part of Ukraine, which is an area equivalent to the US state of Ohio. The three sources believe that the Encourage summit has created the best hope of peace since the war began, as there was a concrete discussion on the conditions and Putin showed the readiness to ‘give’ something. A source said, “Putin is ready to understand peace, this message was conveyed to Trump.”
However, they believe that Kiev will leave the remaining part of Donbas or not-it is uncertain for Moscow; If not left, the war will continue. It is also not clear whether the US will recognize Russian-administered areas in some form. A fourth source added that the economy for Putin is secondary, they understand Russia’s economic delicateness and the ability to go deep into Ukraine.