The United States is set to insist that Russia acknowledge Ukraine’s rights to its own military and defense sector as part of a possible peace agreement, according to a Bloomberg report on Thursday, which cited sources involved in the ongoing discussions.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy appointed by President Donald Trump, plans to address this topic in his upcoming meeting with President Vladimir Putin, as reported by Bloomberg.
For Russia, acquiescing to this demand would entail relinquishing its declared objective of demilitarizing Ukraine.
This reported request indicates that Washington is looking to extract certain concessions from Russia in its efforts to bring the conflict to an end.
Critics argue that Trump and his negotiating team have so far prioritized Russian interests, including suggestions to acknowledge Crimea as part of Russia and to exclude Ukraine from NATO, while securing minimal concessions from Moscow in return.
Additionally, the U.S. is demanding that Russia relinquish control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which it took over in 2022, with the intention of having the U.S. manage the facility to supply energy to both nations, according to Bloomberg’s sources.
Other U.S. demands include restoring Ukraine’s access to the Dnipro River and reclaiming territory occupied by Russia in the Kharkiv region, as per the report.
Meanwhile, Putin continues to advocate for recognition of Russian sovereignty over Ukraine’s Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, which Russia only partially controls.
In response to Russian airstrikes on Kyiv that resulted in at least 12 fatalities and numerous injuries early Thursday—marking the most lethal assault on the Ukrainian capital in nearly a year—Trump urged Putin to halt his aggression against Ukraine.
“I am not pleased with the Russian attacks on KYIV. They are unnecessary and poorly timed,” Trump stated on social media. “Vladimir, ENOUGH! 5000 soldiers are dying each week. Let’s finalize this Peace Deal!”
The recent attacks have further complicated the already tense U.S. efforts to facilitate a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine, occurring just hours after Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for not accepting Moscow’s claims over Crimea as a peace prerequisite.
Trump and other U.S. officials have recently warned that Washington may withdraw from its peace negotiations if an agreement is not reached promptly.
