Kremlin releases statement after Trump meeting confirmation

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

The Kremlin officially confirmed this morning that President Vladimir Putin will meet with US President Donald Trump on Friday, August 15, in the US state of Alaska, stating that the choice of location is "completely logical".

- Russia and the United States are close neighbors, we share a border, so it seems quite natural that the Russian delegation would fly over the Bering Strait and that such an important and long-awaited summit would be held there - said Yuri Ushakov, a Kremlin foreign policy adviser, according to the RIA news agency.

Ceasefire

According to The Wall Street Journal, as reported by the Kyiv Independent, Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly presented a ceasefire proposal to US envoy Steve Witkoff, offering to end the war in exchange for territorial control over eastern parts of Ukraine.

According to information shared by European and Ukrainian officials, Putin said that Russia would be ready for a complete cessation of hostilities if Kiev withdrew from the Donetsk region. This would give Moscow full control over Donetsk, Luhansk and the previously annexed Crimea.

However, sources close to European diplomats have expressed serious concerns that Putin could use the negotiations only as a way to avoid secondary US sanctions announced by President Trump. Additional uncertainty is caused by the uncertainty over the future of the partially occupied areas in Zaporizhia and Kherson, and whether the front line would be frozen in its current positions or Russian forces would withdraw.

According to the same source, Putin’s plan involves two phases:

The withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Donetsk and a temporary freeze on the conflict, and reaching a final peace agreement through additional negotiations between Putin, Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.