Putin 'names his condition' to end Ukraine war following face-to-face meet with Trump
Vladimir Putin has reportedly revealed his conditions for ending Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian leader met with US counterpart Donald Trump at a military base in Alaska on Friday (15 August) for a 'high-stakes' meeting on ending the three-year war in Ukraine.
Despite the fanfare around the meeting, including a red carpet handshake between the leaders and a military jet flyover, no agreement was ultimately reached.
However, Putin has reportedly revealed his 'conditions' for pulling back his forces at the meeting ahead of Volodymyr Zelenskyy heading to the White House on Monday (18 August).
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And it includes the eastern European nation handing over territory to its neighbour, a move which has been a major point of contention between Ukraine and Russia.
So what exactly does Putin want?
According to numerous reports from the summit, the Russian president has demanded that the eastern Ukrainian oblasts of Donetsk and Luhansk be ceded to Russia in exchange for an end to the conflict.
At the time of writing, Russian forces are said to control around 70 percent of Donetsk and almost all of Luhansk, which together make up a heavily industrialised region of Ukraine known as the Donbas (via Financial Times).
Meanwhile, the BBC reports that Ukraine is said to retain control over numerous cities in the west of Donetsk.
The reported demands are a step back from initial reports which suggested Putin would be looking to claim control of additional oblasts (administrative regions) Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Why does Putin want control of Donetsk and Luhansk?
Russia has occupied parts of the two oblasts, including both regional capitals, since 2014, with Russian-backed paramilitaries previously backing the creation of independent Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.
The population of both regions are mostly Russian speaking and has large ethnic Russian minorities, although the majority of the population is said to identify as Ukrainian.
Both regions are also said to be rich in natural resources, providing an economic motivation for Putin.
Will Ukraine agree to surrender the regions?
While Trump is reportedly said to favour the agreement, Zelenskyy has remained firm in the belief that Ukraine should not have to hand its territory over to Russia.
"We will not leave Donbas. We cannot do this. Everyone forgets the first part - our territories are illegally occupied. Donbas for the Russians is a springboard for a future new offensive," the Ukrainian leader previously stated.
The current Ukrainian constitution also forbids the ceding of territory to other states without a referendum, meaning that agreeing to the plan would be illegal.
Zelenskyy has previously stated that his preferences for a peace deal involve a complete Russian withdrawal from Ukraine, releasing all prisoners of war and captured civilians, including children illegally deported to Russia, and future security guarantees for Ukraine.
Topics: Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Russia, Ukraine, Donald Trump, US News
Brenna Cooper