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Is the Kremlin softening? Wall Street Journal analysis: Putin wants Donetsk and Luhansk, but may give up Zaporizhia and Kherson
2025-08-09 12:00:11 / BOTA
A proposal that partially backs down on his initial demands was reportedly tabled by Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting he had in the Kremlin with special envoy Steve Witkoff, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal, with the aim of agreeing to an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine.
The main condition foresees the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the eastern Donbas region, while Moscow will retain control of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea.
Putin conveyed his proposal to Witkoff during a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday. Specifically, the Russian proposal calls for a full ceasefire if Ukraine withdraws its military forces from the entire eastern Donetsk province.
Despite the fact that Russia controls most of the region, Kiev still occupies significant parts of it.
Under the plan, Russia would retain control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as Crimea, which it has annexed since 2014.
As the information cited by the media shows, the Russian president is showing flexibility in the negotiations, leaving the territories occupied by Russian troops in Kherson and Zaporizhia.
The proposal, if agreed, would be implemented in two stages: First, Ukraine would withdraw from Donetsk and the front lines would be “lifted”.
In a second phase, Putin and Trump will agree on a final peace plan, possibly on August 15 in Alaska, which will then be discussed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The reaction of Europeans and Ukrainians
Some Ukrainian and European officials have expressed strong reservations, believing the Kremlin's move is aimed at avoiding sanctions and tariffs that Trump had announced he would impose if a deal was not reached by Friday.
Zelensky has indicated that he is willing to discuss the territorial issue only if Russia accepts a complete and unconditional ceasefire.
A Kiev official who participated in Wednesday's phone call between the Ukrainian president and Trump reportedly said that the country's government does not reject the proposal in principle, but sets an immediate cessation of hostilities as an absolute condition.
Trump, speaking on Newsmax a week ago, had warned that he was ready to impose sanctions on Russia if there was no deal, although he acknowledged that Putin "knows how to get around sanctions."
The US president expressed disappointment that, as he said, three times in the past he believed he had reached an agreement with the Russian leader, but the situation on the ground was changing dramatically.
"I spoke with Putin many times and we had great conversations. Then I came back and learned that a bomb was dropped on Kiev and other cities, with civilians dead."
"I thought we had agreed three times, but maybe he wants to take everything. I think it will be very difficult for him ," he said.
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