Trump sides with Putin on Donbas control and frozen war front – Fox News

A European diplomat told Fox News that Trump backed Putin's proposal to take full control of Donbas and freeze the front lines in other regions as part of an agreement with Ukraine.

After meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday, Trump told European allies that the Russian leader had reaffirmed his intention to secure key areas of Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

According to the outlet, Trump said Putin was allegedly open to freezing the front line in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which could become a way out of the deadlock in negotiations.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously rejected the idea of surrendering territories in Donbas. He emphasized that withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the remaining 30% of Donetsk region would be unconstitutional and could serve as a staging ground for further Russian attacks.

Trump also refused to support a temporary ceasefire, instead favoring a long-term peace settlement following negotiations with Putin.

The Kremlin, for its part, is not interested in a temporary truce and is seeking a solution that would serve its strategic interests.

Trump–Putin meeting in Alaska

US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin held talks at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska, overnight on August 15–16.

The following morning, August 16, on his way to Washington, Trump held phone conversations with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO leaders.

It was also reported that Trump plans to hold a trilateral meeting with the leaders of Ukraine and Russia as early as August 22. Putin, however, has not yet publicly confirmed his readiness to participate in such a meeting.