Ukraine sets demands for Alaska summit with Russia

Ahead of talks in Alaska on Friday, August 15, between the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, Ukraine is clearly outlining its main demands. Kyiv wants a lasting ceasefire, real security guarantees, hundreds of billions of dollars in compensation from Russia, and the return of kidnapped children and prisoners of war.

It is stated in the Politico article.

What conditions does Ukraine set for Russia to end the war?

Ceasefire and guarantees

Ukraine will demand a ceasefire from Russia. There, they want any discussions of territorial issues to become possible only after Russia agrees to a ceasefire and abides by it.

Compensation and sanctions

Ukraine insists that Moscow pay about EUR 500 billion for the damage caused. Under the control of European allies are significant assets of the Russian Federation, including almost EUR 200 billion in Belgium.

The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, stated that access to these funds for Russia should be unblocked only after compensation for the damage. Kyiv and its partners warn that the lifting of sanctions and the resumption of trade will allow the Kremlin to regroup for new aggression.

Security guarantees

In the security sphere, Kyiv sees accession to NATO and the EU as the only reliable long-term protection. President Volodymyr Zelensky states that he has not yet heard any concrete proposals that would guarantee the avoidance of a new war. Meanwhile, Trump opposes Ukraine's membership in the Alliance, and Moscow demands its official exclusion.

In addition, some EU countries fear the economic consequences of the integration of a large agrarian state and are actually slowing down this process. Kyiv also rejects the demand to reduce the 900,000-strong army, and currently, the main security guarantees remain military supplies and financing from European partners. During the war, the EU provided EUR 73.9 billion in aid, while the U.S. provided 64 billion, and American support for Trump is not growing.

Return of children and POWs

The issue of abducted children and prisoners of war also remains key. Russia has illegally taken away about 20,000 Ukrainian children, of whom only 1,453 have been returned, largely through Qatari mediation. The Kremlin presents it as an evacuation from dangerous zones, but it transfers the children to Russian families and raises them under propaganda conditions. The situation is complicated by the Trump administration’s decision to disband the Yale University Group that helped search for the abductees.

Incidentally, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. The prisoner exchange is progressing somewhat more successfully — more than 2,000 people have been released under Trump's mediation, but thousands remain in detention without access to international missions.

Military and economic pressure

Kyiv and its allies are keen to maintain sanctions pressure, pointing out that the war has already cost Russia more than 1 million military casualties and about USD 2 trillion — almost a year's worth of GDP. Lifting sanctions and resuming trade, they warn, would give the Kremlin time to launch a new offensive.

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