US President Donald Trump's team continues to conduct peace talks to end the Russian war, maintaining, according to an informed source, a moderate stance on the Donbas issue. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine citing its own source close to the negotiation process. The insider detailed how the American side formulates its approaches to key conflict nodes—from the status of individual territories to security and energy issues.
US Position on Donbas: No Direct Demands
According to the source, Trump's team discusses the Donbas issue «very delicately». No direct demands from Washington to hand over these territories to Russia have been made. The American side, as described by the insider, takes a mediator position: «They say there are intermediaries: like, they came, listened, those demand something, media voice something, all our surrogate proposals don't fit, so you decide, and we are helping both sides, in such a mode». The source emphasized that over the past six months, the American side cannot be accused of direct pressure on Kyiv on the territorial issue.
Strikes on Refineries and the 'Sensitive Topic' of Diesel
A separate block in the talks, according to the insider, is the persistent US requests to stop Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. The American side formulates them in the key of mutual assistance: «We are helping you, we are not asking what you give us for the security we are ready to provide you, what you give us instead for intelligence data, etc. We do not work on the principle of transactionality, but build relations between two countries». Within these discussions, according to the source, a «sensitive topic» is raised—the rise in diesel fuel prices, which Washington links to the consequences of refinery strikes.
Kyiv's Reaction: 'Our Military Will Not Understand'
The Ukrainian side, according to the insider, rejects the argument about diesel as inconsistent with reality: «This, of course, is a pure fake, those are not the volumes of diesel, but it sounds nice». At the same time, Kyiv confirms that requests to stop the strikes are coming in, but refuses to fulfill them: «We reply that we cannot tell our military not to strike at a time when the Russians are striking». The source concludes that any such decision would be perceived inside the country as «betrayal», and the military would not accept such an order.
Context: Readiness for Frontline Freeze
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready for a scenario of freezing the conflict along the frontline. This context makes particularly noticeable the moderation of the tone with which, according to the source, Trump's team approaches the territorial issue: instead of ultimatums, Washington proposes a format in which both sides make decisions independently, and the American side positions itself as a helper rather than an arbiter with veto power.
