Ukraine has five key demands to end war with Russia - Politico

According to the media outlet, Kyiv has identified the strategic interests it intends to defend in any talks:

• A stable ceasefire before any territorial concessions;
• Compensation for damages inflicted on Ukraine;
• Security guarantees;
• Maintenance of sanctions against Russia;
• Return of prisoners of war (POWs) and abducted children.

Ceasefire before territorial exchange

The media outlet notes that in 2022, when announcing the invasion, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that his goal was to "liberate Donbas," "demilitarize," and "denazify" Ukraine. Now, however, the United States is promoting the idea that Kyiv should give up part of Donbas in exchange for halting the Russian offensive in the south.

US President Donald Trump hints at "land swapping," but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes that Ukraine will not make concessions on its borders.

Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv is ready for a ceasefire and negotiations, but it will not give up Donbas, as this would become a springboard for a new Russian offensive.

According to Politico, territorial issues can only be discussed after Moscow agrees to a ceasefire. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte suggested that Russia could de facto control part of Ukrainian lands while remaining the legal owner. This sparked criticism, particularly from former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who called the idea "sickening."

Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainians will not give their land to the enemy, as losing fortified positions in Donbas would open the way for Russia to the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions.

Russia must pay

According to Politico, the destruction inflicted on Ukraine, both in human and material terms, is enormous. Estimates range from $500 billion to $1 trillion.

Ukraine firmly insists that Moscow must pay for its crimes and has certain leverage, as a significant portion of Russia's frozen assets are located in close European allies. In particular, nearly 200 billion euros are located in Belgium.

"Russia must pay for the approximately €500 billion in damages caused. Until this happens, Moscow must not be granted access to its frozen assets," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.

Security guarantees

Ukraine considers membership in NATO and the European Union as the only long-term way to stop another Russian attack.

"Will we be in NATO? In the EU? I haven't heard anything - simply not a single proposal that would guarantee that a new war won't start tomorrow. We need security guarantees that will preserve, first of all, our state, a sovereign state, our independence," Zelenskyy stated.

Ukraine also rejects Moscow's demands to reduce its 900,000-strong active army - the largest in Europe after Russia - and to stop supplying its allies with weapons for Ukraine.

Funding for the needs of the Ukrainian military and the purchase of weapons for Kyiv, particularly from the United States, by European partners remains, for now, the only security guarantee for Kyiv. The US offers only mediation in the war, hinting that it may eventually abandon even that role.

Children and POWs must return home

Russia has deported nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children, of whom Ukraine, with the mediation of Qatar and other countries, has managed to return only 1,453.

Moscow claims it is relocating children to safe places but refuses to return them to relatives, instead placing them in the adoption system and subjecting them to Russian propaganda.

The Trump administration this year made it more difficult to track abducted children by disbanding Yale University's Humanitarian Research Lab task force that helped locate children and expose the officials involved. Cuts to US foreign assistance and sanctions against the International Criminal Court also hinder these efforts.

Prisoner exchanges have been more successful: with Trump's mediation, the sides exchanged more than 2,000 people, but thousands remain in captivity, and Russia does not allow international human rights watchdogs access to all detention sites.

Trump must not save Russia

According to the media outlet, the Russian economy is feeling the effects of sanctions.

Analyst Timothy Ash estimated the cost of the war for the aggressor country at about $2 trillion, which is nearly Russia's annual output.

Kyiv and European allies seek to maintain pressure, warning that lifting sanctions and resuming trade would give Moscow time for a new attack. They are trying to convince Trump that the threat of new sanctions will force Putin to take negotiations more seriously.

Trump and Putin talks

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a planned meeting with Vladimir Putin, which will take place on August 15 in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska.

According to CNN, the talks will be held at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base.

As WSJ writes, during the meeting, the Russian President may present Trump with a condition - recognition of the occupied Ukrainian territories as part of Russia in exchange for the withdrawal of troops from other regions.

Meanwhile, EU leaders, together with Ukraine, have prepared their own version of a peace settlement for discussion between the American and Russian leaders.

For more details about the upcoming Trump-Putin meeting, read our material on the topic.