Russian President Vladimir Putin during an informal meeting with a special envoy Donald Trump Steve Witcoff in St. Petersburg proposed to stop offensive actions throughout the front line in Ukraine. About it reports Financial Times with reference to sources familiar with the course of conversations.
According to the three informants of the publication, Putin said that Russia can review its claims for four partially occupied Ukrainian regions - Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya - which Moscow formally annexed in 2022. This would be the first sign of a possible change in the Kremlin's position from the beginning of a full -scale war in February 2022.
However, Putin's proposal in Europe was perceived with great care. Several European diplomats have warned that such a "concession" could be a political trap. They believe that the Kremlin thus tries to influence the Trump administration, forcing it to agree to the broader geopolitical requirements of Moscow.
"It looks like a well -played trap is a compromise, but in fact, a tricky step to consolidate military achievements and split among allies of Ukraine," one of the high -ranking European officials said.
He added that there is a pressure on Kyiv from different sides to Kiev to give way that Trump would publicly declare a "diplomatic victory". Such a scenario, according to experts, could strengthen Trump's position in the US election campaign.
Financial Times sources also indicate that the Kremlin can only be inferior to four regions if the United States agrees to other key requirements of Russia: in particular, the recognition of Crimea's occupation, as well as Ukraine's refusal to NATO membership.
