Trump reveals details of talks with Putin: many points of agreement reached

A Fox News journalist asked Trump whether a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine would involve territorial exchanges, security guarantees, and similar provisions. Trump responded that these were among the topics discussed with Putin and that they had reached an agreement on many points.

When reminded that he had previously mentioned "one major issue" on which there was no agreement, Trump declined to disclose it.

"I would rather not. I guess somebody's going to go public with it; they will figure it out, but I don't want to do that. I want to see if we can get it done. It is not a done deal at all. And Ukraine has to agree. You know, President Zelenskyy has to agree," stated Trump.

In the interview, Trump acknowledged that both territorial matters and security guarantees for Ukraine had been discussed with Putin. This contrasted with his earlier assurances to European leaders that he would not discuss territorial questions with Putin and would instead demand direct negotiations between the Russian leader and President Zelenskyy.

'Territorial exchange'

Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of a “territorial exchange” between Ukraine and Russia. Axios, citing sources, reported that the US president views such an exchange as a necessary element of any agreement to end the war. The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reported that Putin is demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian defenders from the Donetsk region as a condition for a ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has emphasized that he will not withdraw Ukrainian troops from Donbas. He also noted that any discussion of territorial exchange is highly complex and must be considered in conjunction with security guarantees for Ukraine.