US, Russia discussing Ukraine peace deal recognising Kremlin control over Crimea and Donbas – Bloomberg
Washington and Moscow seek a deal to end Russia’s war against Ukraine that would cement the Kremlin’s hold over occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea and the entire Donbas.
Bloomberg reported this, citing informed sources, Censor.NET reports.
According to reports, US and Russian officials are working on a territorial deal ahead of the planned high-level meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin next week.
They say the United States is trying to secure the support of Ukraine and its European allies for the agreement, something that is far from certain.
Putin is demanding that Ukraine hand over to Russia the entire eastern part of Donbas, as well as Crimea, which his forces illegally annexed in 2014.
According to Bloomberg, this would require Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to order the withdrawal of troops from parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions still held by Kyiv — effectively granting Russia a victory its army has failed to achieve militarily since launching the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Such an outcome would be a major win for Putin, who has long sought direct talks with the United States on ending the war he started, sidelining Ukraine and its European allies.
"Zelenskyy risks being presented with a take-it-or-leave-it deal that would force him to accept the loss of Ukrainian territory, while Europe fears it would be left to police a ceasefire as Putin rebuilds his forces," the outlet stressed.
Bloomberg’s sources said that under the deal, Russia would halt offensive operations in Ukraine’s Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions along the current front lines.
However, they cautioned that the terms and plans for the agreement are still in flux and could be revised.
It also remains unclear whether Moscow is prepared to give up any territory currently under its control, including the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
According to the agency’s sources, the deal is essentially aimed at freezing the war and paving the way for a ceasefire and technical talks on a final peace settlement.
Earlier, the United States had insisted that Russia first agree to an unconditional ceasefire to create space for negotiations on ending its war against Ukraine.
At the same time, Putin has repeatedly said that his objectives in the war remain unchanged. They include demands for Kyiv to adopt a neutral status, abandon its ambitions for NATO membership, and recognise the loss of Crimea and four other eastern and southern Ukrainian regions to Russia.
The US had previously proposed recognising Crimea as Russian as part of a war-ending deal, effectively conceding Russian control over parts of other Ukrainian regions. Under those earlier proposals, control over the territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson was to be returned to Ukraine.
