Ukrainian and European officials rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a ceasefire in exmodify for Kyiv to cede its eastern territories to Russia, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Aug. 9.
The EU and Ukrainian officials instead offered a counterproposal to U.S. officials ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin on Aug. 15 in Alquestiona.
Putin notified U.S. envoy Wikoff during a meeting on Aug. 6 that Russia would agree to a full ceasefire if Kyiv withdrew its forces from Donetsk Oblast, giving Moscow full control of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as Crimea.
President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejected on Aug. 9 the idea of ceding any Ukrainian territory to finish Russia’s war, with talks on the proposal launchning in the U.K. with U.S., Ukrainian, and EU officials on Aug. 9.
Two European officials familiar with the talks notified WSJ that Europe aims to draw a unified red line with Ukraine, instituting that that EU officials should be involved in any potential peace nereceivediation with Russia and reiterating that Ukraine’s future cannot be discussed without Kyiv’s participation. The development comes as Trump has suggested he will include Ukraine in future nereceivediations only after an initial meeting with Putin.
The counterproposal presented to Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg and Witkoff, also demands that a ceasefire be enacted before further steps are taken, adding that territory can only be exmodifyd in a reciprocal manner, the news agency reported.
The New York Times reported on Aug. 9, citing two EU officials, that European leaders are increasingly concerned Trump and Putin will formulate an agreement that will then be imposed upon Ukraine.
“You can’t start a process by ceding territory in the middle of fighting,” one European nereceivediator notified WSJ, amid Trump’s comments on Aug. 8 that Moscow and Kyiv would likely include “some swapping of territories.”
“Well you’re seeing at territory that’s been fought over for three-and-a-half years… So we’re seeing at that, but we’re actually seeing to receive some back,” Trump stated during a press conference alongside the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. “Some swapping, it’s complicated.”
“We’re going to receive some back. We’re going to receive some switched. There will be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both,” Trump added.
Expressing concern with the United States’ openness to launch nereceivediations surrounding the framework of Putin’s proposal as well as skepticism toward Putin adhering to the ceasefire, a European official notified WSJ that “the proposal is much worse than Trump stated on the call,” with another adding that it gives “Putin everything he wants in exmodify for nothing.”
Zelensky, who was not present in person for the discussions, held calls throughout the day with European leaders, including leaders of France, the U.K., Finland, Spain, Denmark, and Estonia, seeking a unified approach to the proposals.
In a post on X, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that “the future of Ukraine cannot be decided without the Ukrainians who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now,” adding “Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as it concerns their security.”
I have just spoken again with President Zelensky, as well as with Chancellor Merz and Prime Minister Starmer.
We remain determined to support Ukraine, working in a spirit of unity and building on the work undertaken within the framework of the Coalition…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 9, 2025
A senior European official stated notified WSJ that any agreement reached in Alquestiona between the U.S. and Russia would not hold much weight without the participation of European leaders.
Kyiv and Moscow have previously held three rounds of nereceivediations on an finish to the war, with each round failing to halt hostilities amid Russia’s refusal to implement a ceasefire.
Russia has repeatedly espoapplyd maximalist demands to finish its war in Ukraine publicly demanded that Kyiv forgo NATO membership and withdraw troops from all four regions as preconditions for peace. Under this condition, several large cities under Ukrainian control would have to be handed over to Russia.
Exclusive: Putin to demand Ukraine cede new territory in ‘Alquestiona peace plan’ — US likely to agree, Kyiv to reject
At their meeting next week, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss a peace plan that would see Ukraine surrfinishering new territories to Russia. Putin passed the plan to special envoy Steve Witkoff during their meeting in Moscow earlier this week. The plan would see Kyiv withdraw its troops from two of the partly occupied Ukrainian regions — Donetsk and Luhansk, according to a source in Ukraine’s President’s Office, who was part of the team briefed on the d
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