U.S. President Donald Trump publicly denied reports of a possible agreement with Vladimir Putin regarding the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas. The statement came amid new discussions on the conditions for a possible end to the war.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that there were no agreements between him and Vladimir Putin regarding the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the Donbas region.
In response to reporters' questions before his departure to China about whether there is an agreement under which Russia would receive all of Donbas, Trump replied briefly: "No."
At the same time, the American president did not elaborate on the topic of possible negotiations with Moscow.
During his communication with the press, Trump also suggested that he might visit Moscow this year. According to him, he is ready to do "whatever it takes" to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
Simultaneously, Trump stated that, in his opinion, the end of the war is becoming closer.
The topic of Donbas has been actively discussed in recent days following statements from Russian officials, who effectively describe the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region as one of the conditions for a ceasefire.
Russian representatives also hinted that this issue was allegedly discussed during the U.S.-Russia summit in Anchorage last August.
However, officially, no agreements reached were reported after the meeting between Trump and Putin.
What is important to understand is that the issue of control over Donbas remains one of the key obstacles to possible negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Ukraine continues to reject demands to transfer the entire territory of the region under Russian control.
Kyiv insists on a different option — a cessation of hostilities along the current front line without recognizing territorial concessions.
Amid the ongoing war, any statements about possible secret agreements between the U.S. and Russia evoke a wide resonance both in Ukraine and among NATO allies.
Additional attention was drawn to the fact that the question was posed to Trump by a correspondent from the Russian state agency TASS.
Trump himself has repeatedly stated in recent months that he is capable of ending the war faster than the current U.S. administration, although he has not publicly disclosed details of any potential settlement plan.
