August 18, 2025

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin greets U.S. President’s special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Moscow on Aug. 6, 2025. (Photo: Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS)

Author: Alex Stezhensky

Secret backchannel talks between Ukraine and Russia throughout July brought both sides closer to a framework for freezing the war, The Economist reported on Aug. 17. But the publication says that changed abruptly after U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff visited Moscow on Aug. 6 — a meeting that prompted the Kremlin to issue a new wave of territorial demands, described as unworkable.

According to the report, Witkoff’s meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin derailed the quiet progress made toward a ceasefire and introduced conditions Kyiv could never accept.

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During the summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Putin once again demanded that Ukraine withdraw its forces from Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts — the most heavily fortified sectors of the front. Such a move would significantly strengthen Russia’s position for a future offensive, The Economist noted.

The outlet quoted a Ukrainian intelligence official who said the U.S. is acting “incredibly aggressively” in pressuring Ukraine to cede territory. While Russia’s goals are clear — sanctions relief, recovery of frozen assets, and renewed access to energy markets — the official said it’s “far less clear” why the Trump administration is pushing Moscow’s agenda so forcefully.

Russia’s demands and Ukraine’s response

Fox News reported that Trump backed Putin’s proposal for full Russian control over Donbas, paired with a freeze of the front lines in other oblasts as part of a broader deal with Ukraine.

After his meeting with Putin in Alaska, Trump allegedly told European allies that the Russian dictator reiterated his demand for control over Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. At the same time, Putin was said to be willing to “resolve the stalemate” in the Zaporizhzhya and Kherson directions by accepting a frozen front.

The New York Times reported that Trump has broken from the position of U.S. allies and Ukraine by supporting a so-called “comprehensive peace plan” that would involve Ukraine surrendering unoccupied parts of Donbas to Russia.

Reuters added that under the draft deal discussed by Trump and Putin, Russia would give up some occupied Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv would cede parts of the east that Moscow failed to capture.

According to Reuters’ sources, Putin’s demands include:

• No ceasefire before a full agreement is reached
• Ukrainian withdrawal from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts
• Frontline freeze in Kherson and Zaporizhzhya oblasts
• Return of certain territories in Sumy and Kharkiv oblasts to Ukraine
• Formal recognition of occupied Crimea as Russian territory
• Lifting at least some sanctions on Russia
• A ban on Ukraine joining NATO
• Possible security guarantees for Ukraine
• Official status for the Russian language (regionally or nationwide)
• Freedom of operation for the Russian Orthodox Church.

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Trump-Zelenskyy talks at White House seen as turning point

On Aug. 9, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainians would not surrender their land to occupiers and that the issue of territorial integrity is enshrined in Ukraine’s Constitution and would not be violated. Later, Zelenskyy reiterated that the Defense Forces will not withdraw from the non-occupied part of Donbas in exchange for a ceasefire.