Russian President Vladimir Putin offers a Ukraine ceasefire if Kyiv cedes eastern territories, speaking with China’s Xi and India’s Modi before his Aug. 15 Alaska summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.
By Imran Malik – August 9, 2025
Putin’s Bold Ceasefire Proposal
In a startling move, Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered the United States a ceasefire in Ukraine, on the condition that Ukraine withdraw its military from the entire eastern Donetsk region. Under this proposal, Russia would retain control over Donetsk, Luhansk, Crimea, and possibly other territories—changes that dramatically reshape the existing front lines.
Foreign policy analysts warn that this could represent a dangerous normalization of Russia’s territorial conquests.
Alaska Summit: Trump and Putin to Meet
U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed a summit with President Putin on August 15, 2025, in Alaska, aiming to negotiate a peace deal to end the three-and-a-half-year war.
This would mark the first direct meeting between the two leaders since 2021 and signal a dramatic pivot in diplomatic posture.
Trump has floated the idea of a “swapping of territories” as part of the deal, though details remain vague and deeply contentious.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy, while not confirmed to attend, cautioned that ceasefire progress hinges on sustained international pressure on Moscow.
Several locations around the world had been discussed as potential locales for the Trump-Putin meeting — Putin publicly floated the United Arab Emirates. Some of the possible venues, such as Rome, could have proved tricky because the International Criminal Court in 2023 issued a warrant for Putin’s arrest on allegations of involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine during the war. The U.S. is not a party to the court, so a meeting in Alaska avoids that problem.
The more substantive issue, however, will be whether the U.S. can find a way to bridge the gap between what Putin is demanding and what Ukraine and its European allies can accept.
Frontline Sentiment: Little Hope Among Ukrainian Troops
Amid these diplomatic maneuvers, Ukrainian soldiers report dwindling confidence in a peaceful resolution. As Trump’s ceasefire ultimatum expired this past Friday, Ukraine’s tilted terms with Russia leave little room for compromise. Russian forces continue their advance with devastating force.
