Trump's envoy Witkoff pressured Ukrainian delegation to cede Donetsk region to Russia - WP

US President Donald Trump's envoy pressured the Ukrainian delegation during a meeting on Friday regarding the transfer of the Donetsk region to Russia. He emphasized that the residents of this region are predominantly Russian-speaking, writes UNN with reference to The Washington Post.

Details

According to officials, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff pressured the Ukrainian delegation regarding the transfer of Donetsk during a meeting on Friday. He noted that the region is predominantly Russian-speaking, which is a frequent topic of discussion for the Kremlin and which Ukrainian and European officials consider to be related to Russia's demands.

The publication reminds that many Ukrainians, including Zelensky himself, grew up speaking Russian as their native language, and in Ukrainian society, speaking Russian has historically not been a sign of sympathy for Moscow. Most Ukrainians switched to using the Ukrainian language since Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine in 2014.

Witkoff was the White House's main interlocutor with the Kremlin in the run-up to the Anchorage meeting, which European officials said led to what they considered a misunderstanding of Russia's demands and an inability to make significant progress after the meeting.

Addition

The head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, during a recent conversation with US President Donald Trump, made it clear that he could agree to return the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to Ukraine, but demands full control over Donetsk region as a condition for ending the war.

US Vice President J.D. Vance spoke in support of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth after a dispute over the color of his tie. The tie Hegseth wore to the meeting of the US and Ukrainian presidents was called "Russian" by some.