Putin demands surrender of eastern regions in Ukraine

Russian president wants Donetsk and Luhansk for peace deal

- SAM KILEY ALEX ROSS

Vladimir Putin is demanding Ukraine surrender the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk provinces as a condition for ending the war.

The Russian leader told Donald Trump that he would be prepared to stop fighting on the rest of the frontline if Ukraine gave in to the demand and addressed the “root causes of the conflict”.

The concessions were discussed at the highly anticipated summit of the two leaders in Alaska on Friday, which ended with no peace deal despite nearly three hours of talks.

Sources close to the meeting told The Independent that the dramatic move appears to have been endorsed by Mr Trump as a means to bring an end to the war.

They said that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky would want to “clarify this on Monday” when he meets with Mr Trump in Washington DC.

Mr Putin’s condition for Ukrainian troops to withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk, which make up the Donbas region, follow circulated reports on the demand ahead of Friday’s summit.

The Russian president also said he would freeze the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where his forces occupy a large territory.