Ukraine outlines five key demands for a peace settlement with Russia

Ahead of a planned meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Politico magazine has published Ukraine’s five key demands for a potential resolution to the conflict with Russia.

According to the report, the demands on which Kyiv insists are as follows:

Any negotiations regarding territorial concessions should only take place after a permanent ceasefire is established. Trump had previously indicated that a solution could involve a “land swap,” but he did not offer specific options.

Demand for reparations up to $1 trillion

Ukraine’s second demand is compensation for damages, estimated to be between $500 billion and $1 trillion. Although there are at least $200 billion in frozen Russian assets in Europe, the fate of these assets remains uncertain. Moscow, for its part, states that any action against its assets will be considered “theft.”

Seeking alternative guarantees instead of NATO membership

Kyiv is also demanding security guarantees. While Ukraine previously sought NATO membership, it is now searching for alternative protection mechanisms after Trump ruled out this scenario. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, sanctions against Russia must continue until these mechanisms are established.

Another demand is the continuation of sanctions. Kyiv is concerned that Trump might move to lift the sanctions. Moscow, however, insists on the removal of the restrictions, which it describes as illegal.

Finally, the return of prisoners of war and children stands out as a significant demand. This issue was the only topic where Russia and Ukraine were able to achieve concrete results in their recent negotiations in Istanbul.

Politico emphasizes that the differences between the parties’ positions remain serious and that the meeting between Trump and Putin on Friday in Alaska could determine whether the peace process has a realistic future.

Previously, The Economist magazine wrote that European countries are concerned about the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska.

According to the report, European leaders fear that Trump might declare a diplomatic “victory” for Moscow, leaving Ukraine and its allies with a difficult choice.

In this scenario, the parties would either have to accept an agreement that revises Europe’s security system or reject the deal and lose American support.