Trump-Putin Peace Proposal Sparks Debate Over Ukraine's Territorial Integrity

During the August 15 summit in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a potential peace plan aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. According to reports from the New York Times, the proposal involves Ukraine ceding unoccupied parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in exchange for a written commitment from Moscow to refrain from further invasions.

Additionally, Russia would reportedly agree to pull back from certain areas of Sumy and Kharkiv regions. This plan suggests freezing the front lines and offering Ukraine security guarantees, though the specifics of the land exchanges remain unclear.

After the summit, Trump spoke with President Zelenskyy first, then briefed European leaders on the details of his meeting with Putin, including the proposal for territorial swaps and security guarantees. Trump emphasized his belief that a comprehensive peace agreement would be more effective than a ceasefire, which has historically failed to hold.

“A Peace Agreement would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, claiming that this view was shared by European and NATO officials.

However, the idea of territorial exchanges raised significant concerns, particularly for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He has made it clear that he is unwilling to surrender any Ukrainian land as part of peace negotiations, including both occupied and unoccupied territories. Ukrainian officials argue that a ceasefire should be the first step in any peace process, rejecting the notion of territorial concessions to Russia.

Despite this, Trump appeared to endorse the idea of a territorial swap as the fastest path to peace.

Initially, Trump had threatened economic penalties if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire, but after the three-hour meeting in Alaska, Trump dropped both the ceasefire demand and the sanctions threat.

European leaders expressed concern, with some feeling that the summit had been a win for Putin, who was able to propose a plan without significant concessions from Russia.

Zelenskyy has been consistent in his position that European nations must be involved in every stage of the peace process to ensure security guarantees for Ukraine. The Ukrainian president has also stressed that a ceasefire should be the first step, particularly given the growing threat of Russian aerial and ground offensives. As the war continues to intensify, Ukraine remains firm in its rejection of territorial concessions.

Looking ahead, President Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Trump and European leaders at the White House on Monday, August 18. This meeting will serve as a key moment to discuss the next steps in the peace process and explore how Europe can be involved at every stage to guarantee Ukraine's security.