Waltz: Russia, Ukraine peace deal likely to include Donbas region cession
National security adviser Mike Waltz said Ukraine likely would have to cede some of its Donbas region to Russia if it wants a long-term peace deal.
The comments, during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night, come as the Trump administration pressures Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
Trump officials have previously signaled Ukraine should not expect to return to its pre-2014 borders as part of the peace talks, which effectively takes the Crimean peninsula out of negotiations.
But it's less clear how much of the eastern Donbas region Ukraine will need to cede, with Russia claiming more land than it currently occupies. Hannity outlined vague contours of a peace plan during his interview with Waltz on Friday.
“I would imagine that Ukraine being a part of NATO is not going to happen, and I would imagine parts — maybe the Donbas region in particular or areas that are heavily populated by people from Russia, that would go to Putin in any negotiated settlement. Am I wrong in my conjecture here?” Hannity asked.
“Sean, no surprise, you're not wrong in any of that," Waltz responded. "And what's important is that we are discussing all of those things with both sides. We are having those discussions with our counterparts, with the Russians."
“We are having those discussions with our counterparts with the Ukrainians and — and we are pushing both sides together with President Trump, the dealmaker in chief, that is determined to end this war,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky he does not “hold the cards” in talks to end the war, launched by Russia three years ago, as the U.S. president pursues direct and exclusive talks with Putin.
The U.S. briefly paused intelligence sharing and military aid to the Eastern European nation after Trump and Zelensky engaged in a verbal spat in the Oval Office in late February.
Ukraine has been working to mend ties with the U.S., as Europe looks to ramp up its defense spending, seeing the U.S. as an increasingly unreliable ally.
During talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Ukraine agreed to back a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, effectively freezing the current front lines. The Trump administration also lifted its brief freeze on military and intelligence support.
Putin on Thursday said he was open to the U.S. ceasefire proposal but had his own conditions to ensure the "causes" of the war were addressed. A top Putin adviser said the ceasefire helped Ukraine and did nothing for Russia.
“Of course both sides are going to have their demands, and, of course, both sides are going to have to — to make some compromises, and the shuttle diplomacy of going back and forth is happening,” Waltz told Fox News.
Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, who has taken on a sprawling foreign affairs portfolio, landed in Russia on Thursday to meet with Putin.
“I've spoken into my counterpart, Special Envoy Witkoff is — is out there and bringing things back for us to evaluate and for the President Trump to make decisions on next steps,” Waltz said.
Topics
-
Inside the frontlines of Russia as the war with Ukraine continues
NBC News' Keir Simmons gets a rare look inside the frontlines in Russia and talks with residents about the impact of the war with Ukraine as President Trump said he is “strongly considering” ...NBC News - 6d -
Unclear if Russia will agree to ceasefire terms with Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a ceasefire deal will be presented to Russia after Ukraine said it is ready to accept a 30-day pause in fighting. CBS News senior foreign correspondent ...CBS News - 2d -
Ukraine will need to make territorial concessions for peace deal, Rubio says
Top US diplomat says Kyiv will find it ‘very difficult’ to push Russia back to 2014 bordersFinancial Times - 3d -
Ukraine Must Cede Territory in Any Peace Deal, Rubio Says
The secretary of state, heading to talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, said future talks with Moscow will be needed to determine what Russia is willing to give up to end the war.The New York Times - 4d -
Kyiv and Moscow trade drone attacks as new U.S.-Ukraine talks kick off
A top Ukrainian official said his country was "ready to go" and determined to reach a peace deal with Russia as U.S.-Ukraine talks kicked off in Jeddah.CBS News - 3d -
'Ball now in Russia's court' on Ukraine ceasefire, Rubio says
Rubio spoke to reporters alongside National Security adviser Mike Waltz after talks with Ukraine in Jeddah.BBC News - 3d -
Russia Pushes Back Ukraine’s Offensive With Drones and North Korean Troops
Russia has retaken about two-thirds of the territory Ukraine seized last summer in the Kursk region of Russia, but at a fearful cost in lives.The New York Times - 6d -
Russia Begins Assault on Ukrainian-Occupied Town of Sudzha in Kursk Region
Moscow’s military advances on the town of Sudzha may deprive Kyiv of a bargaining chip in peace talks.The New York Times - 3d -
Can Ukraine and Russia reach a lasting peace?
Kyiv has backed a temporary truce, but tough questions would need resolving in any final agreementFinancial Times - 2d
More from The Hill
-
Senate Dems give up on shutdown
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Senate advances bill to prevent shutdown A group of 10 Democrats, including ...The Hill - 43m -
Live updates: Senate taking final vote on averting shutdown; Trump lays out plan for DOJ
The Senate inched closer to funding the government before the deadline Friday. Needing 60 votes to keep the lights on and prevent a shutdown beginning Saturday morning, the House-passed continuing ...The Hill - 47m -
Tech stocks return to earth
Presented by Ericsson — Plus: Exclusive look at "Middle Tech" AI push {beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Tech stocks return to earth as AI explosion fizzles The world’s biggest ...The Hill - 51m -
Watch live: NASA launches SpaceX mission to return Boeing Starliner crew from space station
NASA and SpaceX are set to launch the Crew-10 mission to retrieve astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station on Thursday evening. Williams and Wilmore, part of ...The Hill - 57m -
ACLU releases video of Mahmoud Khalil's ICE arrest
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday released the full video of Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest last weekend as outrage grows over his ...The Hill - 1h
More in Politics
-
Senate Dems give up on shutdown
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Senate advances bill to prevent shutdown A group of 10 Democrats, including ...The Hill - 43m -
Live updates: Senate taking final vote on averting shutdown; Trump lays out plan for DOJ
The Senate inched closer to funding the government before the deadline Friday. Needing 60 votes to keep the lights on and prevent a shutdown beginning Saturday morning, the House-passed continuing ...The Hill - 47m -
Tech stocks return to earth
Presented by Ericsson — Plus: Exclusive look at "Middle Tech" AI push {beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Tech stocks return to earth as AI explosion fizzles The world’s biggest ...The Hill - 51m -
Watch live: NASA launches SpaceX mission to return Boeing Starliner crew from space station
NASA and SpaceX are set to launch the Crew-10 mission to retrieve astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station on Thursday evening. Williams and Wilmore, part of ...The Hill - 57m -
ACLU releases video of Mahmoud Khalil's ICE arrest
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday released the full video of Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest last weekend as outrage grows over his ...The Hill - 1h