Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward a new demand regarding Ukraine during a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump on October 16. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
According to the Washington Post, Putin requested a complete withdrawal from the Donetsk region as a condition for halting military operations. In return, he expressed readiness to return certain parts of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson territories under Russian army control.
According to the newspaper's analysis, this demand indicates a slight softening of the Kremlin's position in recent months. Sources in Washington assess this as progress in the diplomatic process.
At the same time, senior European diplomats emphasized the necessity of firmly rejecting this proposal. In their view, if Kyiv agrees to such a condition, it would mean selling its sovereignty for nothing.
The Wall Street Journal noted that the Trump administration is increasing pressure on Ukraine. According to the publication, Washington is trying to push Kyiv towards an unconditional agreement ahead of new negotiations with Russia.
Meanwhile, some members of the US government have acknowledged maintaining caution in imposing sanctions against Moscow for now. US sources indicate that this pressure is mainly directed at Ukraine.
This situation was clearly evident during Volodymyr Zelensky's recent visit to Washington. There, Kyiv did not receive a clear guarantee regarding the delivery of "Tomahawk" cruise missiles.
The phone conversation between Putin and Trump lasted two hours. At the end of the talk, the two leaders agreed to meet face-to-face in Budapest within two weeks.
One day later, on October 17, Trump met personally with Ukrainian President Zelensky at the White House. The main topic of the discussion was the issue of delivering weapons to Kyiv.
According to Axios, Trump has not yet made a definite decision on this matter and stated that his main focus is on a diplomatic solution. Zelensky responded that "Trump said neither 'yes' nor 'no'."
Thus, the phone conversation between the two heads of state indicates that negotiations around Ukraine have entered a new phase. However, there is still no clear solution for Kyiv, and every step in diplomacy remains a complex challenge.
