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European and Ukrainian officials revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin presented a comprehensive proposal to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff during their recent meeting in Moscow to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Putin proposed to hand over the eastern Ukrainian region, known as Donbas, to his country in exchange for a complete ceasefire, which represents somewhat of a retreat from previous Russian demands for control over all areas along the frontline between the two countries, which extends beyond Donbas.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Putin informed Witkoff that he would agree to end the war if Ukraine withdrew its forces from the entire eastern Donetsk region, with Russia then taking control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, in addition to the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014 and wants to recognize as sovereign Russian territory.

It is noted that Russian forces currently occupy most of the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk, but Ukrainian forces still control large areas of land, including major cities that have become strongholds of their defense.

In a series of phone calls this week between European leaders and the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Europeans sought clarification on a key point of the proposal, namely what would happen in the southern regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, where Russian forces also control some territory.

However, European officials briefed by the Trump administration on the outcomes of the calls came away with mixed impressions about whether Putin intends to freeze the current front lines or ultimately withdraw completely from them.

For his part, an American official disclosed that Putin called for a ceasefire at the current situation in both regions, with Russia then negotiating a land exchange with Ukraine, aiming to restore Moscow's full control over Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, while it remained unclear what land Ukraine would receive in return.

The U.S. president hinted two days ago that a potential deal between Kyiv and Moscow would involve "some land exchanges that serve the interests of both parties."

An European official confirmed that European representatives presented a counter-proposal during the meeting with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, but he refrained from mentioning any details.

Informed sources indicated that the European counter-proposal included demands for a ceasefire to be reached before any further steps are taken, and that any land exchange should be mutual with strong security guarantees, according to the Wall Street Journal.

An European negotiator stated, "No process can begin with concessions of land in the midst of fighting."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated last night (Saturday) that he rejects any concession of Ukrainian land, stating that "Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier."

Russia has declared that the territories of four Ukrainian regions—Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson—belong to it, in addition to the Crimean Peninsula overlooking the Black Sea, which it annexed in 2014. Russian forces do not fully control all the territories of the four regions, but Moscow demands that Ukraine withdraw its forces from all the land that is still under its control there.