During talks with US President Donald Trump in Alaska, Vladimir Putin put forward a number of demands concerning the status of Crimea, sanctions policy and the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. This was reported by Reuters, citing sources familiar with the talks.
According to the agency, the Russian president said that Moscow insists on the recognition of the annexed Crimea as Russian territory. However, it is not specified whether this refers exclusively to the position of the US or to broader recognition by Western countries and Ukraine itself. Reuters’ sources also claim that Putin demanded the lifting of at least some of the sanctions against Russia, but it is unclear whether he was referring to American or European restrictions. Among other conditions, Moscow is demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. In exchange, Russia is ready to freeze the front line in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. In addition, according to the agency’s sources, the Russian leader expressed his willingness to return to Ukraine part of the territories in the northern Sumy region and the north-east of the Kharkiv region, which are currently under the control of Russian troops.
According to estimates by the Ukrainian project DeepState, Russia holds areas of the Sumy and Kharkiv regions with a total area of about 440 square kilometres, while Ukraine controls approximately 6,600 square kilometres of the Donbas territory.
Another item on the list of demands is granting Russian the status of an official language in Ukraine. Moscow also insists that the Ukrainian authorities guarantee the free activity of the Russian Orthodox Church (UOC of the Moscow Patriarchate) on the territory of the country.
Reuters notes that questions remain open both about the scope of Moscow’s demands and the possible reaction of Washington and Kiev. It is unclear whether Trump is ready to support the proposals, and how such initiatives will be received by other Western capitals.
