US proposed Ukraine redraw Donetsk and Luhansk borders so Russia could claim full control, The Economist reports

American negotiators have recently floated a proposal to redraw the borders of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions as part of a territorial settlement between Russia and Ukraine, The Economist reported, citing sources.Under the proposal, Russia could claim full control of both regions without Ukraine having to cede any unoccupied territory, according to the publication’s sources.The Economist’s sources also described Russia’s “unusual flexibility” during the negotiations. They said, however, that this flexibility surfaced after a proposal to discuss European security. The U.S. now fears Moscow will use these discussions as a pretext prolong the fighting.U.S. President Donald Trump announced on November 9 that Ukraine will “end up with a little bit different shape” after the war ends.Russia is insisting on international recognition of its control over occupied Crimea, as well as the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, including areas it does not control. A source close to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office told Meduza in late October that this is unacceptable for Ukraine. “We have a consensus: Ukraine does not give up its territories,” he said.At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected].To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.