Russian President Vladimir Putin is insisting that any deal to end the war in Ukraine must include full Russian control of four partially occupied Ukrainian regions, three Moscow-based sources familiar with the talks told Bloomberg.
The demand has dealt a blow to U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker a ceasefire, with frustration reportedly mounting inside the White House over the lack of progress in negotiations.
Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, held extended talks at the Kremlin on April 25, attempting to persuade Putin to agree to a ceasefire that would freeze hostilities along the current front lines.
Two people familiar with the meeting said Putin does not seem to move away from maximalist demands. He rejected the U.S. proposal and reiterated his demand for full control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—territories Russia annexed on paper in 2022 but has never fully occupied….
