Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a phone call with US President Donald Trump last week, demanded full control of Donetsk, a strategically key region in eastern Ukraine, as a condition for ending the war.
The Washington Post reports that this information was confirmed to them by two senior officials familiar with the details of the conversation.
Putin has been trying unsuccessfully to conquer the area for 11 years, but each time he has been repelled by Ukrainian forces, deeply entrenched in the region they consider the main bulwark against a rapid Russian advance towards Kiev.
His focus on Donetsk shows he is not backing down from earlier demands that have brought the conflict to a stalemate, despite Trump's optimism about reaching a deal, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Putin's offer
During the talks, the Russian leader suggested that in exchange for full control of Donetsk, he would be willing to hand over parts of Zaporizhia and Kherson - two other Ukrainian regions that he had partially conquered.
It is a slightly smaller territorial claim than the one he made in August at a summit in Anchorage, Alaska. One of the officials said that some in the White House interpreted it as progress, the Washington Post reported, as reported by Index.hr.
But another official, a senior European diplomat, said Ukrainians were unlikely to see it that way. "It's like selling them your own leg for nothing," the diplomat said. Neither the White House nor the Kremlin immediately responded to a request for comment.
Trump's meeting with Zelensky
Trump has not yet commented publicly on Putin's request. After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, he did not support the Russian request, and in the coming weeks he plans to meet with Putin in Hungary to continue negotiations.
"It's time to stop the killing and make a DEAL! Enough blood has been shed, with property lines defined by War and Courage. They should stop where they are. Let both declare victory, let history decide," Trump wrote on social media after meeting with Zelensky.
Trump's man pressured Ukrainians to hand over Donetsk, his main argument was the Russian thesis
The Ukrainian delegation had hoped to leave Friday's meeting with long-range Tomahawk missiles, but they returned empty-handed.
Officials say Trump envoy Steve Witkoff pressed Ukrainians during the meeting to hand over Donetsk, stressing that the region is predominantly Russian-speaking, a common Kremlin claim. Yet many Ukrainians, including Zelensky himself, grew up speaking Russian, which has historically not been a sign of sympathy for Moscow.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in charge of preparing for the upcoming summit in Budapest, which Kiev has welcomed. Ukraine has supported Trump's call for a ceasefire on the current front lines, but privately officials acknowledge that Russia is likely to retain control of the occupied territory and are seeking strong security guarantees from the West.
Situation at the front
The front lines have largely stagnated over the past year, and Russia currently controls about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.
Trump considered sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, but backed off after speaking with Putin on Thursday. Asked if he was worried that Putin was trying to outmaneuver him, Trump said on Friday:
"I've been played by the best of them my whole life, and it's worked out really well for me. It's okay if it takes a little while. But I think I'm pretty good at this stuff."
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