Draft deal would freeze front lines and lock in Russian-held territory; summit between Trump and Putin could come as soon as next week, sources say.
Introduction (Lead): Washington and Moscow are pursuing a deal to halt the war in Ukraine that would lock in Russia’s control of occupied territory, according to people familiar with the talks. Both sides are sketching territorial parameters for a possible summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as early as next week, while the US seeks buy-in from Kyiv and European allies. Terms remain fluid.
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The outline under discussion would freeze fighting largely along current lines, with Russia halting its offensive in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, the people said. It’s unclear if Moscow would relinquish any occupied land, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest. Putin is pressing for recognition of Russian control over Crimea and the entire Donbas, which would require Ukraine to pull back from parts of Luhansk and Donetsk still held by Kyiv.The agreement aims to “freeze” the conflict, enabling a ceasefire and technical talks toward a longer-term settlement, according to the people. The US had previously pushed for an unconditional ceasefire first, to create space for negotiations.
Official reaction was limited. The White House did not comment. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not immediately respond, and Ukraine declined to comment on the proposals. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said officials are finalizing details for a meeting “within the next few days” and have agreed on a venue, which he did not name.
Trump, who returned to the White House in January pledging to quickly end the war, has grown frustrated with Putin’s refusal to accept a ceasefire, people familiar said. “I don’t like long waits,” Trump told reporters. “They would like to meet with me and I will do whatever I can to stop the killing.” He said he’s willing to meet Putin even without a simultaneous meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Putin recently briefed Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as leaders of South Africa, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, on an Aug. 6 meeting in Moscow with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, according to the Kremlin.
Kyiv is seeking security guarantees to ensure any truce holds and urging allies to keep economic pressure on Russia via sanctions. Trump has not taken direct measures against Moscow to date, though he doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% over purchases of Russian oil, angering New Delhi. He has warned he will impose tariffs on countries buying Russian oil if Putin does not agree to a ceasefire by Friday.
Markets reacted to the report: US Treasury yields eased from session highs, WTI crude fell as much as 1.7%, Ukraine bonds rallied, and Hungary’s forint hit a near one‑year high against the euro.
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Ukraine says its constitution forbids ceding territory and it will not recognize Russia’s annexations. Earlier US proposals contemplated recognizing Crimea as Russian and formalizing Russian control over parts of occupied regions, while returning other areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson to Ukraine, according to people familiar.
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