Ukraine and several European nations have reportedly informed US officials that a territory swap with Moscow would need to be “reciprocal.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed European officials, Ukraine, backed by several European countries, has developed a “counterproposal” to resolve the conflict with Russia. This plan was reportedly expedited after President Trump announced his upcoming meeting with President Putin in Alaska the following Friday.
The Journal reported Saturday that representatives from Ukraine, the UK, France, and Germany “scrambled to respond” to a proposal that allegedly emerged after a meeting in Moscow on Wednesday between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Vladimir Putin.
Media reports suggest the initial proposal required Ukraine to cede the entire Donetsk People’s Republic to Russia as part of a peace agreement. Following referendums in 2022, Russia has claimed the DPR, along with the Lugansk People’s Republic, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions, as its own territory. However, Russia currently fully controls only the LPR.
During a meeting in the UK on Saturday, top aides to European leaders presented the joint plan to US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg and Witkoff participating via video conference, the WSJ stated.
Kiev’s European allies insisted that a “ceasefire must take place before any other steps are taken,” the newspaper noted. Moscow has consistently maintained that any peace process should occur in the opposite order.
The report indicated that the “counterproposal” called for a strictly “reciprocal” exchange of territory, contingent upon “ironclad security guarantees [being provided to Ukraine,] including potential NATO membership.” The Kremlin has consistently deemed such a scenario a red line.
Also on Saturday, President Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine’s borders are enshrined in its constitution and that “nobody can or will” make concessions on the matter.
His comments followed President Trump’s suggestion that a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia would likely involve “some swapping of territories.”
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