High-ranking officials from Ukraine, the United States, and Europe are set to meet this weekend in the United Kingdom, just a few days before the scheduled summit between American President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, as reported by Axios, citing three sources familiar with the plans.
The purpose of the discussions is clear: to define a common position in the face of the potential peace agreement looming between Washington and Moscow, an agreement that could reshape the map of eastern Ukraine, as reported by Kiev Independent on Saturday morning.
According to sources, Trump is trying to expedite the mediation of a peace agreement, although the deadline imposed by Russia for a ceasefire - August 8 - passed on Friday without consequences. The Kremlin did not stop hostilities, but the White House did not impose any sanctions in return.
On August 6, American special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, and on the same day, a phone call took place between Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and several European leaders.
Two sources cited by Axios state that during the discussion, some participants understood that Putin was prepared to give up claims over the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, two territories in southern Ukraine partially under Russian occupation.
However, the message conveyed the next day changed: Witkoff reportedly stated that Moscow is only willing to freeze the conflict along the current frontlines, which would include retaining the occupied territories in the same regions.
Putin's conditions to end the war, according to the same sources: Ukraine should officially cede the Donetsk, Luhansk regions, and the Crimean Peninsula.
However, Ukrainian officials say they do not fully understand the details of the Russian proposal or the US position, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.
For such a territorial compromise to be legally binding from the Ukrainian perspective, a national referendum would be necessary.
Axios also reports that Trump and Zelensky are working on a legal framework to "sign something" that does not violate Ukrainian legislation.
Trump: "It's about territories that have been fought for for three and a half years"
During a press conference held on Friday alongside the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Donald Trump offered a hint about how he sees the structure of a potential agreement:
"It's about territories that have been fought for for three and a half years... So we're looking at that, but in fact, we're trying to recover some territories. An exchange - it's complicated."
The logistics of the meeting in the United Kingdom between Ukrainian, European, and American officials are still being organized, but the idea reflects the tension of the moment: a race against time to prevent a unilateral agreement between Trump and Putin, which could leave Ukraine in a vulnerable position.
Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk suggested on Friday that a "freezing" of the war in Ukraine could be imminent.
After talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Tusk stated that there are positive signals and his intuition tells him that a temporary ceasefire is closer than it seems.
Although Zelensky remains cautious, he is optimistic about a possible ceasefire, and Ukraine is seeking support from Poland and other European countries in planning such an agreement, as reported by The Guardian.
The Trump-Putin summit is scheduled for next week in Alaska and could be the moment when the first lines of a peace agreement or a geopolitical compromise with long-term consequences take shape.