On August 17, Putin offered to freeze front lines in Ukraine's Kherson and Zaporizhia regions if Ukraine ceded control of Donetsk and Luhansk during talks with Trump. Trump relayed this offer to Zelenskyy, who rejected it. Trump communicated a change in opinion, emphasizing directly pursuing a peace agreement without a ceasefire. Zelenskyy noted Russia's resistance to halting hostilities would hinder achieving lasting peace. He expressed gratitude for an invitation to meet Trump in Washington, while European leaders vowed to exert pressure on Russia and secure guarantees for Ukraine.
Trump informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the offer during a phone call, but Zelenskyy rejected the demand.
The US president also said he agreed with Putin that a peace agreement should be sought without a prior ceasefire, marking a change in his position before the summit.
Zelenskyy, who was not invited to the summit in Alaska, said in a post on X that Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace.
A number of European leaders have also been invited to attend, a European Union source told the AFP news agency.
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