Donald Trump says Ukraine peace talks with Russia include land division discussions

US President Donald Trump announced on March 21 that ongoing negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine include discussions on land division. His statement comes ahead of separate US-led talks with Russia scheduled for March 24 in Saudi Arabia.

"Pretty soon, we'll have a full ceasefire, and then we're going to have a contract," Trump said during a White House press briefing. "The contract’s being negotiated, the contract in terms of dividing up the lands, etc., etc. It’s being negotiated as we speak."

The President further elaborated on the fragile nature of the ceasefire efforts, stating, "In getting that ceasefire, they had a lot of guns pointing at each other. You had some soldiers, unfortunately, surrounded by other soldiers. I think we’re going to have a ceasefire on a lot of areas, and so far, that’s all held very well."

Putin seeks recognition of Russian-occupied territories

According to a report by Kommersant, cited by Euromaidan Press, Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined the recognition of Russian-occupied territories as a key condition for peace. During a closed session of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, Putin reportedly stated that Moscow seeks international acknowledgment of its control over Crimea, Sevastopol, and parts of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.

Sources familiar with the discussions, as per Kommersant, suggested that if these conditions were met, Russia "will not pursue claims to Odesa or other territories currently under Ukrainian control."

Russia has occupied Crimea since 2014 and illegally declared annexation of the additional regions in 2022 following its full-scale invasion.

Limited ceasefire on Energy infrastructure

Following a call between Trump and Putin on March 18, Moscow agreed to halt attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days. However, setbacks have emerged, including continued Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities like Odesa.

According to reports, Russia has also conditioned a broader ceasefire on the cessation of Western military aid to Ukraine, a demand that Ukraine and its allies have outright rejected.

Zelensky rejects territorial concessions

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the idea of recognising Russian control over any Ukrainian territory as part of peace negotiations. "This is a red line that Kyiv will not cross," Zelensky has reiterated in past statements.

Ukraine's Constitution states that the "territory of Ukraine within its present border is indivisible and inviolable." Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials remain skeptical of Russia’s commitment to any peace agreements, given ongoing attacks and Moscow’s historical disregard for previous ceasefire accords.

While Putin has expressed support for this limited ceasefire, Russia rejected an earlier US-proposed 30-day ceasefire that Ukraine had endorsed.

Despite the ongoing negotiations, the path to a lasting peace remains uncertain, as both sides remain firm on their territorial stances, and Russia’s military activity continues in key Ukrainian cities.