According to知情 sources cited by U.S. media, Putin insists that as part of any agreement to end the war, Russia must control the four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. The media noted that this demand is a blow to Trump's efforts to achieve a ceasefire and permanently end the war, while the White House becomes increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in negotiations.
Two of the sources said that last week, Trump's envoy Viktorov held lengthy talks with Putin at the Kremlin in an attempt to persuade him that Russia should agree to a ceasefire at the current front line. However, they said that Putin continues to insist on his stance on territorial issues.
One source said that the negotiations are currently deadlocked and further progress can only be made through direct communication between Putin and Trump. A spokesperson for the National Security Council, Hewitt, said, "We do not comment on ongoing consultations. We will continue to work with Ukraine and Russia to peacefully resolve this conflict." (Source: Bloomberg)
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