Ukraine has outlined five non-negotiable conditions for any agreement with Russia, as U.S. President Donald Trump prepares to meet Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, 15 August.
The priorities, reported by Politico and echoed by Kyiv officials, are: a durable ceasefire before any discussion of territory; compensation for war damage; credible Western security guarantees; the maintenance of sanctions on Russia; and the full return of prisoners of war and abducted children.
Ceasefire first, territory later. Kyiv’s position is that there can be no territorial concessions in advance of a verifiable, lasting ceasefire. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signalled readiness to discuss the sequencing only after Russia stops firing and sustains a ceasefire, rejecting proposals that imply “land swapping”. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has suggested any future arrangement might recognise Russia’s de facto control of some areas without de jure recognition—an idea that has drawn criticism in parts of Europe and which Kyiv resists.
Compensation for damage. Estimates of the destruction range from $500 billion to $1 trillion. Kyiv argues that Russia must pay and points to frozen Russian sovereign assets in Europe—nearly €200 billion held in Belgium—as potential leverage. Berlin has also underlined the principle that Moscow should meet the costs before accessing frozen funds.
Security guarantees. Ukraine views eventual NATO and EU membership as the only long-term guarantee against renewed aggression. In the interim, Kyiv seeks binding commitments on sustained Western military assistance and cooperation, and rejects Russian demands to cap the size of Ukraine’s armed forces or halt Western arms deliveries. Washington has framed the Alaska meeting as a “listening exercise”; European support, meanwhile, has grown as U.S. military commitments have plateaued this year.
Sanctions to stay. Kyiv and several European capitals argue that easing sanctions would allow Russia to reconstitute its military and renew offensive operations. The European Council reiterated in June that pressure on Moscow must be maintained pending a just peace.
Humanitarian releases. Ukraine insists on the full return of POWs and the repatriation of nearly 20,000 children it says were unlawfully taken to Russia. Kyiv has recovered only a fraction with outside mediation. Exchanges of prisoners have continued, including large swaps earlier this year, but thousands remain in captivity.
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The timing of Kyiv’s articulation of “red lines” is tied to the Alaska summit, which the White House says aims to explore options to halt the fighting. Zelenskyy and European leaders held a virtual pre-summit call with Trump on Wednesday; the U.S. side has indicated that no agreement on territorial questions would be made without Ukraine. The meeting venue—Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage—was selected partly because of Putin’s travel constraints linked to an International Criminal Court warrant.
Moscow’s public messaging remains far from Kyiv’s list. Dmitry Suslov, a Kremlin-linked analyst frequently cited by Russian media, told Italy’s Corriere della Sera that Russia could discuss a ceasefire if Ukraine quits NATO ambitions, accepts “demilitarisation”, and undertakes constitutional changes toward federalisation. He also floated a limited Russian pullback from parts of Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions while entrenching lines elsewhere—framing the outcome as a bilateral U.S.–Russia arrangement without Ukraine at the table. These points have been repeated across Italian outlets summarising the interview.
The gap is equally wide on sanctions. Ukraine’s position is that sanctions should be retained—and tightened if necessary—until Russia ceases hostilities and pays damages. European leaders have made similar arguments in recent months, and debate continues over the use of frozen asset windfall revenues to fund reconstruction.
Trump has said a rapid ceasefire is his immediate objective and has previously suggested that “land swapping” might feature in talks. Kyiv and several EU leaders have rejected any land-for-peace formula. On Wednesday, U.S. officials again cast the Alaska session as exploratory, with a commitment to brief Ukraine afterwards.
Given these positions, the most realistic near-term outcomes—if any—could lie in verification mechanisms for a ceasefire, accelerated prisoner exchanges, or humanitarian measures. Anything touching borders, alliance commitments or sanctions relief appears unlikely without Ukraine’s participation and parliamentary backing in Kyiv. For now, Ukraine’s bottom line is clear: no talks on territory before guns fall silent; no reconstruction without Russian payment; and no peace without enforceable guarantees and the return of its people.
