Putin Proposes Deal to End Ukraine War, Zelenskyy Objects

Updated 8/9/25 at 1:37pm ET: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's deal Saturday, saying, "The answer to Ukraine’s territorial question is already in the constitution of Ukraine. No one will and no one can deviate from it. Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier."

Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly proposed a deal to President Donald Trump on Friday that would end the Russia-Ukraine War if reached. 

The Details: According to The Wall Street Journal (Center bias), Putin told US Speical Envoy Steve Witkoff that Russia would agree to a complete ceasefire if Ukraine withdrew its troops from all of the Donetsk province, which Russia still does not fully control. This would leave Russia in full control of the Donbas region. The Journal said "officials briefed by the Trump administration" came away with mixed hunches on what would happen to the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces that Russia presently controls most of. Putin and Trump are scheduled to meet in Alaska on August 15th without European leaders present, per Trump’s request. Trump also said Putin would have to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Key Quotes: “Out of respect for our sensitive diplomatic discussions with Russia, Ukraine, and our European allies, the White House won’t comment on alleged details in the news media,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced. Trump said, “You are looking at territory that has been fought over for 3.5 years… But we’re looking at swapping. We’re going to get some back [for Ukraine].” He claimed both Putin and Zelenskyy want peace. Zelenskyy said, “The United States is determined to achieve a ceasefire, and we must jointly support all constructive steps.”

How The Media Covered It: The Daily Wire (Right) emphasized its conservatism by framing Trump’s affairs with Putin positively. However, American news coverage often falls beyond the scale of left-to-right. The Wall Street Journal (Center), for example, used a globalist perspective to point out skepticism of the deal from European officials. USA Today (Lean Left) looked ahead and analyzed the deal’s potential outcomes. 

Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.