US President Donald Trump has suggested that the ongoing war in Ukraine could end if both sides agree to stop fighting along existing battle lines, effectively leaving most of the Donbas region under Russian control.
The proposal, marks a significant shift from his earlier position that Ukraine could reclaim all its territory and even “go further” into Russian land.
Trump’s comments came just days after a tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House and a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump’s plan: freeze the conflict at current front lines
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said, “Let it be cut the way it is. It’s cut up right now,” referring to Ukraine’s eastern territories.
He added that both sides should “stop at the battle line – go home, stop fighting, stop killing people,” suggesting that further negotiations could take place “later on down the line.”
The remarks followed reports that, during his White House meeting on Friday, Trump privately urged Zelenskyy to cede parts of Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia in exchange for Moscow withdrawing from smaller portions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Trump’s approach represents a clear break from his earlier statements in September when he described Russia as a “paper tiger” and expressed confidence that Ukraine could recover its occupied territories.
His latest comments indicate a move toward ending the war through territorial compromise rather than continued military resistance.
Withheld missiles and the Putin connection
Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington had been aimed at securing long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, which would have significantly extended Ukraine’s strike capabilities.
These weapons could have enabled Kyiv to target deep inside Russian territory, including Moscow itself.
However, Trump declined the request after what appeared to be a conciliatory phone call with Putin just one day before he met with the Ukrainian president.
The call reportedly lasted several hours and ended with plans for Trump and Putin to meet in Budapest soon.
Following that conversation, Trump appeared far more optimistic about reaching a deal, telling reporters that both sides needed to “stop the killing” and “make a deal.”
Behind closed doors, US special envoy Steve Witkoff was reportedly among those pressing Zelenskyy’s team to agree to a territorial “swap.”
Shifting tone and political implications
In a Fox News interview recorded before his meetings with Putin and Zelenskyy, Trump hinted at this stance, saying Putin was “going to take something” because “he’s won certain property.”
He added that the United States was “the only nation that goes in, wins a war and then leaves,” reflecting his view that territorial concessions were inevitable.
By Sunday evening, as he flew from Florida to Washington, Trump reiterated that fighting should “stop at the lines where they are,” arguing that “the rest is very tough to negotiate.”
When asked if he had explicitly told Zelenskyy to give up all of Donbas, Trump denied it, though his earlier statements suggested otherwise.
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