Disagreement over who will control the entire Donbas territory in eastern Ukraine is holding up a U.S.-brokered peace deal with Russia, Politico reported Monday.
The issue concerns whether Kyiv would be pressed to surrender territory that Russia has failed to capture after more than three years of war, according to Politico.
A senior European official familiar with the negotiations told the outlet that Washington's approach has been blunt: Russia demands territory, and U.S. officials are focused on "how to make it happen."
The official said the Americans are pressing for Ukraine to "leave the Donbas … one way or another," despite the fact that roughly 30% of Donbas remains under Ukrainian control.
Ukraine, for its part, has argued that any deal must freeze the war along current lines — a de facto ceasefire that would stop fighting without forcing Kyiv to formally relinquish additional land.
The European official described that approach as the most realistic option but said Moscow is pushing hard for more, and Washington is also urging speed.
The urgency is being driven from the top.
President Donald Trump publicly vented frustration over the lack of movement, telling reporters during an event in Washington that Russia might prefer even more than Donbas, but suggesting Moscow could accept the U.S. framework — while casting doubt on whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is on board.
Zelenskyy has not responded directly to Trump's latest comments, but told Bloomberg that the U.S. and Ukraine have not reached agreement on the east.
Ukrainian officials have argued that handing Russian President Vladimir Putin territory he could not seize on the battlefield would invite further aggression.
Zelenskyy previously warned that surrendering Ukrainian-held parts of Donetsk, including cities such as Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, could open the door for Russia to push into other regions.
DW reported Saturday that the earlier U.S. 28-point plan would have required Ukraine to relinquish all of Donbas to de facto Russian control, including areas not occupied by Russia.
The German outlet reported those unoccupied areas would be labeled a "demilitarized zone," a designation that critics say could still leave them vulnerable to Russian domination.
DW said that after pushback from Kyiv and European leaders, the proposals were being revised as U.S.-Ukrainian talks continued, including discussions reported to be taking place in Florida.
Meanwhile, conditions inside eastern Ukraine remain grim.
DW reported that Ukraine still controls a quarter of Donetsk, where Ukrainian officials say roughly 200,000 people suffer frequent shelling.
Aid workers told DW that more residents have sought evacuations in recent weeks as the front line inches closer and winter approaches.
Newsmax Wires contributed to this report.
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