Kremlin after talks with US: War cannot end without Ukraine giving up Donbas
Russian leader's aide Yuri Ushakov has said after talks between Vladimir Putin and a US delegation that a lasting peace in Ukraine is impossible without resolving territorial issues under what he described as the "Anchorage formula".
Source: Russian news agency Interfax
Quote: "The main point reaffirmed during these talks between our president and the Americans is that without resolving the territorial issue according to the formula agreed upon in Anchorage, there is no point in expecting a long-term settlement." [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda doesn't recognise Putin as president – ed.]
Details: Ushakov added that Russia is allegedly "sincerely interested" in resolving its war against Ukraine through political and diplomatic means.
"Until that happens, Russia will continue to consistently pursue the objectives set for the special military operation [the term used by Russia to describe its aggression against Ukraine – ed.] on the battlefield, where the Russian armed forces hold the strategic initiative," he said.
Previously: Talks between Putin and US President's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff took place at the Kremlin. They lasted more than three and a half hours.
Background:
- On 15 August 2025, US President Donald Trump and Putin met at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska.
- The meeting ended without any agreements or a ceasefire announcement in Ukraine, despite claims about "great progress".
- On 16 August 2025, following the talks with Putin, Trump spoke first with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then held a joint call with Zelenskyy and European leaders.
- According to Bloomberg, during the conversation Trump informed European leaders and Zelenskyy that Putin was still demanding the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the entire territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in Ukraine's east, while being ready to freeze the line of contact in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!