Putin demands Ukraine withdraw its troops from Donetsk, willing to trade a freeze on the southern front for territorial concessions.

[Putin demands Ukraine withdraw troops from Donetsk, willing to exchange frozen southern front for territorial concessions] According to the Financial Times, Putin has demanded that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the Donetsk region as a condition for ending the conflict. He told Trump that if his core demands are met, he could freeze the fighting in other areas along the front. Four people with direct knowledge of the talks revealed that Putin made this request during a meeting with Trump on Friday in Alaska. Subsequently, Trump conveyed this message to Zelensky and European leaders during a call on Saturday, during which he urged them to abandon efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement with Moscow. Three individuals familiar with the talks stated that in exchange for Ukraine handing over the Donetsk region, Putin claimed he would freeze the front lines in southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia (where Russian forces control large areas of land) and would not launch new offensives to seize more territory. Individuals familiar with Zelensky's thoughts indicated that he would not agree to hand over Donetsk but was willing to discuss territorial issues with Trump in Washington— the two are expected to meet on Monday. ( Jin10 )