United States and Russia are reportedly planning a deal with Ukraine that would confirm Russian territorial gains

The U.S. and Russia are reportedly seeking a deal to end the war in Ukraine that would cement Moscow’s control over territory captured during its invasion, Bloomberg News reported Friday.

According to unnamed sources cited by Bloomberg, officials from both countries are working on territorial terms ahead of a possible summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as early as next week.

A White House official dismissed the report as speculation, while the Kremlin offered no comment. Ukrainian authorities also did not directly respond, though President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a separate statement: “The United States is determined to achieve a ceasefire, and we must jointly support all constructive steps. A dignified, reliable, and lasting peace can only be the result of our joint efforts.”

Putin claims four Ukrainian regions — Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson — along with Crimea, annexed in 2014, though his forces do not fully control all four regions. Ukraine has signaled some flexibility in ending the conflict but ceding roughly 20% of its territory would be a politically fraught concession for Zelenskiy’s government.

Tyson Barker, former U.S. State Department deputy special representative for Ukraine’s economic recovery, said the proposal described by Bloomberg would almost certainly be rejected by Kyiv. “The best the Ukrainians can do is remain firm in their objections and their conditions for a negotiated settlement, while demonstrating their gratitude for American support,” he said.