Donald Trump rejects reports of proposal to cede Donbas - Media
Trump rejects reports of a proposal to cede Donbas (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The President of the US has denied media reports claiming that he proposed handing over the Donbas region to Russia during upcoming peace talks with the Kremlin, according to a post by Rapid Response 47 on X.
US President Donald Trump stated that the issue of ceding Donbas to Russia was never raised in discussions with Ukraine.
He emphasized that both sides should focus on maintaining the ceasefire and halting hostilities on the front lines.
During an interview, a journalist asked whether the possible handover of the entire Donbas had been discussed with the President of Ukraine.
The US President responded that such a topic was never raised and could not be, emphasizing that the priority is first to stabilize the front lines and halt the violence.
Call for a ceasefire
The White House chief stressed the need to return forces to peaceful actions and stop the loss of lives. He noted that any territorial arrangement in Donbas should reflect the current situation on the ground, where, in his assessment, about 78% of the land is already under Russian control. Resolving the status of these territories would be possible in the future.
Context and Media Claims
Earlier, the Financial Times, citing sources, reported that on October 17, the US President allegedly urged the Ukrainian leader to accept Moscow’s conditions, citing threats of further destruction.
The report claimed that Trump supposedly insisted on handing over control of the Donbas, repeating arguments put forward by the Russian side.
The US President has now categorically rejected these claims, emphasizing that no such negotiations over the Donbas have taken place in that context.
Trump noted that Vladimir Putin already controls certain territories of Ukraine and, in his view, intends to retain them, adding that resolving the war without significant territorial concessions from Moscow remains an open question.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his readiness to participate in the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting in Budapest, stressing that Moscow should face stronger pressure than Hamas did during the recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
