US and Russia Negotiate Deal Cementing Russian Control Over Occupied Territories — Bloomberg

The US and Russia are working toward an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, which would formalize Russian control over the occupied regions.

This is stated in the Bloomberg article.

It has become known that American and Russian officials are working on an agreement concerning territories ahead of a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, likely to take place next week.

At the same time, the US president is attempting to secure Ukraine’s and Europe’s agreement on a deal that remains “far from reliable.”

In particular, Putin is demanding that Ukraine cede the entire eastern part of Donbas and Crimea to Russia. This would require Volodymyr Zelenskyy to order the withdrawal of troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions currently under Kyiv’s control.

“This would grant Russia a victory that its army has been unable to achieve militarily since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Such an outcome would be a major win for Putin,” the report notes.

Under the terms being discussed, the Russian Federation would commit to halting its offensive in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions along the contact line. However, it remains unclear whether the Russian military is willing to relinquish the territories it has already captured.

According to sources, the agreement aims to freeze the conflict, paving the way for a ceasefire and negotiations toward a peaceful settlement.

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It was previously reported that US President Donald Trump may recognize Russian control over part of the Ukrainian regions that are currently under occupation.

As a reminder, Ukraine has declared its readiness for a ceasefire along the entire front line, but will categorically not recognize Russian control over the occupied territories, as this contradicts the country’s Constitution.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are reportedly set to meet next week to discuss a potential peace deal over the war in Ukraine. However, analysts say the sides have fundamentally different positions and the likelihood of a real truce remains low.