Putin probably didn’t make the headline concessions he’s reported to have made. From Simplicius at simplicius76.substack.com:
The Trump admin is building a narrative critical mass that a truce and end to the war is getting closer and closer to being reached. Witkoff and Rubio went on a media offensive, for the first time describing various details of the claimed ceasefire agreements.
First, let us mention the most obvious thing, which is that Russia’s primary confirmed victory in the talks—as opposed to the various speculative parameters now floating about—was aligning the US with Putin’s demand of “agreement before ceasefire”, rather than Zelensky and Europe’s rival demand of “ceasefire before agreement”.
This alone was a big shift which Trump and co. immediately hopped-to as part of the ongoing strategy revision.
Now several mainstream outlets are reporting the contours of the deal and Russia’s claimed concessions as follows—from Reuters:
Reuters publishes Putin’s proposals on Ukraine, presented to Trump at the summit:
– No ceasefire is planned before signing a full agreement.
– The Armed Forces of Ukraine will withdraw from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
– Russia will freeze the front lines in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
– Return control of areas in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions to Ukraine.
– Formal recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea.
– Cancellation of at least part of the sanctions against Russia.
– Ukraine will be prohibited from joining NATO.
– Putin seems to have been open to Ukraine receiving certain security guarantees.
– Official status of the Russian language in some parts of Ukraine or throughout Ukraine, as well as the rights of the Russian Orthodox Church to operate freely.
The most buzz-generating claim is that Russia is allegedly ready to make concessions on giving up its pursuit of the remainder of uncaptured Zaporozhye and Kherson in exchange for getting all of Donetsk and Lugansk. The Zapo and Kherson frontline would be frozen where it is.
