U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he had not told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that Ukraine should cede entire Donetsk region to Russia, Ukrinform reports.
Trump said this while speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One, according to Ukrinform.
Trump denied claims that he suggested ceding all of Donetsk region during his meeting with Zelensky.
“No, we never discussed that. We think that what they (Russia and Ukraine) should do is just stop at the lines where they are, the battlelines, right now, as the rest is very tough to negotiate.”
He added that Donetsk region should remain as it is right now, noting that he believes Russia controls 78% of the territory, and that the sides could negotiate further at a later time.
“But I say… Stop fighting, stop killing people,” he emphasized.
Earlier, Reuters, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the discussions, reported that Trump had pushed the Ukrainian President to hand over certain territories to Russia during their meeting last Friday.
Ukrinform previously reported that on Friday, October 17, the U.S. and Ukrainian Presidents met, with discussions focusing on measures to pressure Russia to achieve peace.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing the call as “very productive,” and announced plans to meet with Putin in Budapest to discuss the possibility of ending the “inglorious” war between Russia and Ukraine.