Witkoff suggests that Trump acknowledge Russia’s control over four regions of Ukraine.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff urged the White House to support a plan that would effectively recognize Russia’s authority over four Ukrainian regions – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson – in exchange for an end to hostilities. This proposal was presented during a meeting with Trump, which occurred less than two days after Witkoff’s discussion with Kremlin representative Kirill Dmitriev in Washington on April 2.

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, spoke out against such a scenario, asserting that Kyiv would never agree to a concession that would legitimize Russia’s “ownership” of Ukrainian territories. Kellogg indicated that one possible condition for ending the war could involve dividing Ukraine into zones of control, similar to post-war Berlin. However, he emphasized that this would entail a voluntary presence by  Ukraine’s allies, a “deterrence force” led by Great Britain and France, not an occupation by the victors.

This suggests that Ukraine might have to relinquish its eastern territories that are currently occupied by Russia. Kellogg’s statement marks the first recognition by a senior US official of the Dnipro River’s potential role as a demarcation line, but Russia opposed his proposals.