Following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, U.S. President Donald Trump informed European leaders that he supports a plan to end the war in Ukraine by ceding still-unoccupied territories to Russia, rather than pursuing an immediate ceasefire, according to two senior European officials familiar with the call.
Trump is set to discuss the plan with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday at the White House, with European leaders invited to participate, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.
After the Alaska meeting, Trump abandoned his push for an immediate ceasefire and believes a swift peace deal could be negotiated if Zelensky agrees to hand over the remaining parts of the Donbas region, including areas not currently occupied by Russian forces.
Zelensky and European leaders have strongly opposed any ceding of unoccupied Ukrainian territory, which also contains critical defensive lines and mineral resources. Ukrainian officials have stressed that any final agreement cannot allow Kyiv to permanently surrender sovereign land, as this would violate Ukraine’s Constitution.
In exchange, Putin offered a ceasefire along current frontlines in the rest of Ukraine and a written promise not to attack Ukraine or any European country, officials said. However, they reminded Trump that Putin has frequently broken written commitments in the past.
Officials emphasized that territorial decisions remain Ukraine’s sovereign choice and that international borders should not be altered by force.
During the call, Trump did not mention imposing additional sanctions or economic pressure on Russia. European leaders, however, reaffirmed that they would maintain sanctions and economic pressure until the killings stop.
Trump expressed optimism about arranging a trilateral meeting with Putin and Zelensky, though Putin has so far refused to meet Zelensky, deeming him the illegitimate president of an “artificial” state.
