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Russia has reiterated its previous terms for a peace agreement with Ukraine in a confidential “non-paper” delivered to the United States over the weekend, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The informal diplomatic note reaffirmed Moscow’s insistence on gaining full control of Ukraine’s Donbas region—an uncompromising stance that rejects former President Donald Trump’s idea of freezing the current frontlines as the basis for negotiations.
According to officials, Russia also emphasized its long-standing demand that no NATO forces be stationed in Ukraine as part of any eventual peace settlement. These conditions signal Moscow’s continued adherence to its maximalist objectives, despite ongoing diplomatic outreach.
The emergence of the non-paper comes as uncertainty grows around a proposed summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, initially expected to take place in Budapest. A White House official told Reuters there were “no plans for that meeting in the immediate future,” while the Russian embassy in Washington declined to comment.
Trump told reporters on Tuesday that he had not yet decided on holding the summit, adding he didn’t want a “wasted meeting.” He nevertheless suggested a ceasefire along existing battle lines might still be achievable.
The discussion follows a phone call between Trump and Putin on Thursday, after which Trump indicated the summit could occur within two weeks. However, during a private meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday, U.S. officials reportedly presented a Russian-backed proposal in which Ukraine would cede the Donbas region in exchange for limited portions of the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. Zelenskiy rejected the plan, and Trump later stated that he supported freezing the conflict along current positions.
The episode underscores the widening gap between Russia’s territorial ambitions and the diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the war.
