The US and Russia are aiming to reach a deal to halt the war in Ukraine that would lock in Moscow’s occupation of territory seized during its military invasion, Bloomberg News reported yesterday.
US and Russian officials are working towards an agreement on territories for a planned summit meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as early as next week, the report said, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
A White House official said the Bloomberg story was speculation.
A Kremlin spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
There was no immediate comment on the report from Ukrainian authorities. However, in a statement published after the report that did not refer to it, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said: “The United States is determined to achieve a ceasefire, and we must jointly support all constructive steps. A dignified, reliable, and lasting peace can only be the result of our joint efforts,” he said.
Reuters could not immediately verify the details included in the Bloomberg report.
Ukraine has previously signalled a willingness to be flexible in the search for an end to a war that has ravaged its towns and cities and killed large numbers of its soldiers and citizens.
But accepting the loss of around a fifth of Ukraine’s territory would be painful and politically challenging for Zelenskiy and his government.
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