Putin has already reached an agreement with Trump to end the war in Ukraine once and for all

Russian President Vladimir Putin has demonstrated a willingness to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine with United States President-elect Donald Trump.

However, he rules out making significant territorial concessions and establishes strict conditions for negotiations to move forward.

According to Kremlin sources, ReutersPutin demands that Kiev renounce its candidacy for I’LL TAKEin addition to imposing limits on the size of its armed forces and guaranteeing the free use of the Russian language in Ukraine.

Reports suggest that Putin is prepared to freeze the conflict along current front lines, including possible adjustments to territorial control of strategic areas such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

Despite indicating an opening for negotiating territories in Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, the Russian president maintains a firm stance regarding control over Crimea and most of the claimed regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.

During the Valdai Forum, Putin emphasized the importance of Ukrainian neutrality: “If there is no neutrality, it is difficult to imagine good neighborly relations between Russia and Ukraine.” This statement reflects the Kremlin’s desire to consolidate military advances without giving in on its main demands.

Donald Trump’s entry into the White House is seen as an opportunity to mediate the conflict. According to Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, the president-elect positions himself as the only figure capable of bringing both sides together for effective negotiation. However, the details of how he intends to reconcile the competing interests have not yet been clarified.

Analysts, including Russian-American expert Dimitri Simes, point out that while a ceasefire could be reached quickly, deep differences between the parties make a broader agreement unlikely.

Furthermore, Russian control over more than 110,000 km² of Ukrainian territory, including the land corridor to Crimea, further complicates negotiations, especially after the United States authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles against targets on Russian soil.

Negotiations could build on a draft agreement discussed in April 2022 in Istanbul, where Ukraine would commit to neutrality in exchange for security guarantees from permanent members of the UN Security Council.

However, Moscow insists that any agreement must prevent future Western provocations, a position that highlights the difficulties in achieving a lasting peace.