"Everyone agrees that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to directly reach a peace agreement to end the conflict. Ceasefires often don't last," former US President Donald Trump stated on social media on 16/8.

This marks a significant shift in the former president's stance after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15/8. One of Trump's key demands before the event was a ceasefire in Ukraine. This has also been a long-standing goal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and many European leaders.

Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Putin in Alaska on 15/8. Photo: AP

Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Putin in Alaska on 15/8. Photo: AP

AFP, citing an anonymous source, revealed that Trump informed Zelensky that Putin proposed Ukraine's complete withdrawal from the Donbas region, including Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, in exchange for Russia halting its offensive in the remaining Ukrainian-held areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia provinces. "The Ukrainian leader rejected this proposal," the source said.

President Zelensky stated on the same day that Russia's refusal of a ceasefire would complicate the situation, as all parties are trying to end the conflict.

"We see that Russia has rejected numerous calls for a ceasefire and hasn't specified when they will stop the attacks. If they can't make the simple decision to stop air strikes, it will likely take longer for Russia to implement a larger agreement: peaceful coexistence with its neighbors for decades to come," he said.

Russian officials have not commented on the information.

Trump and Putin held a three-hour summit on 15/8, followed by an 11-minute joint press conference. This was the first US-Russia summit in over 4 years and the first time Trump met Putin face-to-face since 2019.

Putin announced he had reached an agreement with Trump and expressed hope that Ukraine and Europe would not hinder the process of ending the conflict. The Russian president proposed holding the next conference in Moscow, and Trump said this could happen.

Trump assessed that Washington and Moscow made significant progress but haven't reached any agreement. In an interview after the summit, Trump suggested the Ukraine conflict would end with territorial concessions and security guarantees from the US.

Hong Hanh (According to Reuters, AFP)