Kremlin comments on "Anchorage formula": Ukraine must withdraw from Donbas

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said that Moscow insists on the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Donbas, presenting it as a key condition for negotiations to end the war.

Source: Russia's Interfax

Details: Peskov was asked whether the so-called "Anchorage formula" being discussed in talks envisages full Russian control over Ukraine's Donbas, or whether other options exist.

Quote: "First of all, we certainly do not want to go into the details of the provisions being discussed publicly, and therefore I cannot and will not say which specific formula is meant by the 'Anchorage formula'. We consider this inappropriate."

Details: Nonetheless, he added that Russia's position is "well known" – that Ukraine and the Ukrainian armed forces must leave the territory of the Donbas.

"This is a very important condition. There are also other nuances that remain on the agenda of the negotiations," the Kremlin spokesperson said.

Previously:

• Talks were held in the Kremlin between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US president's special envoy Steve Witkoff, lasting more than three and a half hours.
• Following the meeting, Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov said that without resolving the territorial issue under the "Anchorage formula", it would not be possible to count on long-term peace in Ukraine.

Background:

• US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin met on 15 August 2025 at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska.
• The meeting ended without agreements or a ceasefire, despite statements about "significant progress".
• On 16 August 2025, Trump held talks first with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and then with him and European leaders.
• According to Bloomberg, during the conversation with European leaders and Zelenskyy, Trump said that Putin continued to demand the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the entire territory of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts but was ready to freeze the front line in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts.

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