[57709] US President Donald Trump denies agreements with Putin regarding the handover of the Donbas region

Donald Trump: "There were no agreements with Putin regarding the handover of Donbas"

During remarks to the media at the White House on May 12, 2026, US President Donald Trump strongly rejected claims regarding the existence of "understandings" between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to which Russia is supposed to gain full control over the Donbas region. According to Censor.net, Trump replied with a firm "no" to a journalist's question on the matter, emphasizing that "the war in Ukraine is close to its end" and expressing confidence that an agreement will be reached between the parties.

At the same time, Trump's statement regarding the possibility of a visit to Russia later this year has caused quite a stir in Ukrainian media. As reported by UA Stream, Trump noted that he is ready to do "whatever it takes" to bring an end to the conflict, a claim that was also verified by other sources such as Real War | Ukraine.

Responses in the Ukrainian media were mostly skeptical. While some channels quoted his words factually, others, such as Truxa Ukraine, cynically wondered whether the American president would visit Kyiv during his term, while emphasizing reports in the context of Russian propaganda.

Various sources, including Lachen writes and Оперативний ЗСУ, highlighted the denial of a territorial concessions deal as the central point in the President's remarks, while UA Stream notes that the European Union is expected to discuss the negotiation strategy with Moscow later this month, against the backdrop of these statements by the American administration.