US-Russia Talks Near Ukraine War Ceasefire Amid Territorial Disputes

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed ending the war with Ukraine in exchange for control over the eastern Donbas region, as revealed by discussions involving President Trump and his special envoy, Steve Witkoff. Trump is organizing a summit with Putin, stipulating that no European leaders attend and that Putin also meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky, indicating a potential territorial swap to benefit both sides. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that territorial issues are central to any peace agreement and that a ceasefire will be necessary to negotiate the war's end, while acknowledging the difficulty of public acceptance of concessions. Rubio described recent talks between Witkoff and Putin as productive but stressed that significant challenges remain before a resolution can be reached. The US sees itself closer to ending the conflict than before, with ongoing efforts to finalize details of a peace agreement. Both the Trump administration and Russian leadership appear open to further negotiations involving direct meetings between the key leaders.