U.S. Offers Putin 99-Year Freeze on Ukraine Territorial Claims in Private Talks

Russia has received a proposal from the United States that the Russian side considers "quite acceptable," according to Yuri Ushakov, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The statement was made as part of Ushakov’s commentary on the planned summit between Putin and Donald Trump. A video clip of his remarks was published by Pavel Zarubin, a journalist from state broadcaster VGTRK.

"Once again, it was emphasized [at the meeting] that Russian-American relations could develop along an entirely different, mutually beneficial path, quite unlike how they’ve evolved in recent years," Ushakov said.

Secret Summit Venue Yet to Be Announced

Ushakov reiterated that the location of the upcoming summit remains confidential, but confirmed that the meeting is scheduled to take place next week. On August 7, he announced that Moscow and Washington had finalized plans for the high-level talks. The announcement came just one day after President Putin hosted U.S. special envoy Steven Witkoff at the Kremlin.

The meeting between Putin and Witkoff was described as "constructive and useful" by the Kremlin and as "positive" by the White House.

Trump Signals Possible Territorial Concessions

According to Bloomberg, President Trump suggested during a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European allies on August 6 that Putin may be open to a ceasefire if the issue of territorial exchange is discussed.

Participants on the call reportedly included UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Onet: U.S. Proposal Includes 99-Year Freeze on Territorial Claims

According to Polish news outlet Onet, during the August 6 meeting in Moscow, Witkoff delivered a "very advantageous proposal" from the Trump administration for resolving the conflict in Ukraine. The plan reportedly includes the following key elements:

• A ceasefire agreement in Ukraine, but not a formal peace treaty;
• De facto recognition of Russia’s territorial gains, with final status postponed by 49 or 99 years;
• Lifting of most U.S. and international sanctions against Russia;
• Prospects of resuming energy cooperation, including gas and oil imports from Russia.

Quote from Onet:

"The proposal does not include a guarantee against NATO expansion, nor does it promise to stop military aid to Ukraine."

Russia has long opposed Ukraine’s membership in NATO and cited that ambition as one of the core reasons for launching its military campaign.

Three-Hour Kremlin Meeting Hailed as 'Productive'

The Kremlin meeting between Putin and Witkoff reportedly lasted around three hours. According to Ushakov, discussions focused on two main issues: the conflict in Ukraine and the future of strategic cooperation between Russia and the U.S.

Donald Trump later commented on the meeting, calling it "very productive." He posted on social media:

"Tremendous progress was made! Everyone agrees this war must end, and we will work toward that goal in the coming days and weeks."