Ukraine, Europe reject Putin's ceasefire proposal, present counterproposal to US ahead of Trump-Putin meeting, WSJ reports
Ukrainian and European officials rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposal for a ceasefire in exchange 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 Alaska.
Putin told 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 end Russia's war, with talks on the proposal beginning in the U.K. with U.S., Ukrainian, and EU officials on Aug. 9.
Two European officials familiar with the talks told WSJ that Europe aims to draw a unified red line with Ukraine, instituting that that EU officials should be involved in any potential peace negotiation 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 negotiations 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 exchanged 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 negotiator told WSJ, amid Trump's comments on Aug. 8 that Moscow and Kyiv would likely include "some swapping of territories."
"Well you're looking at territory that's been fought over for three-and-a-half years... So we're looking at that, but we're actually looking to get some back," Trump said during a press conference alongside the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Some swapping, it's complicated."
"We're going to get some back. We're going to get some switched. There will be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both," Trump added.
Expressing concern with the United States' openness to begin negotiations surrounding the framework of Putin's proposal as well as skepticism toward Putin adhering to the ceasefire, a European official told WSJ that "the proposal is much worse than Trump said on the call," with another adding that it gives "Putin everything he wants in exchange 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.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 9, 2025
We remain determined to support Ukraine, working in a spirit of unity and building on the work undertaken within the framework of the Coalition…
A senior European official said told WSJ that any agreement reached in Alaska 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 negotiations on an end to the war, with each round failing to halt hostilities amid Russia's refusal to implement a ceasefire.
Russia has repeatedly espoused maximalist demands to end 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.
