Ukraine’s Donbas, consisting of Donetsk and Luhansk, is at the heart of Moscow’s goals. An industrial powerhouse in the Soviet era, it also has rich farmland, important rivers and a coastline on the Sea of Azov.

At the top of Vladimir Putin’s shopping-list is the western part of Donetsk province, which is still firmly in Ukrainian hands. But it is not just the symbolism that is important to him. The real prize is to force Ukraine to abandon its strategically critical “fortress belt”,

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump expressed hope that Monday’s critical talks with Ukrainian and European leaders at the White House could lead to trilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

President Donald Trump traveled to Alaska on Friday in an attempt to find peace between Russia and Ukraine, telling reporters he wants the killings to end.

Steve Witkoff said Russia agreed in Alaska that the US and Europe could provide Ukraine with a Nato-style guarantee.

Special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff says Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed at his summit with President Donald Trump to allow the U.S. and European allies to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the 3 1/2-year war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump for talks aimed at ending the war with Russia. This comes on the heels of Trump’s meeting on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin who insists on Ukraine giving up territory as part of a deal.

President Trump is expected to press Ukraine to make concessions to end the war. President Volodymyr Zelensky will likely ask what, if anything, Russia is offering in return.