(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that Ukraine should “stop at the battle lines” and bring its conflict with Russia to a close, implying that Kyiv should accept the current territorial status as a foundation for upcoming negotiations.

Addressing reporters upon his return to Washington, Trump described his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday as “cordial” and refuted claims that he had encouraged Kyiv to surrender the entire Donbas region to Moscow.

“No, we never discussed it,” he insisted. “What they should do is just stop at the lines where they are — the battle lines.”

He further noted that in the Donbas area, “78% of the land is already taken by Russia,” suggesting that Ukraine could pursue “something later on down the line,” but emphasized that an immediate end to hostilities was the primary concern.

The Donbas region, which includes Donetsk and Luhansk, has been the center of the conflict since 2014, when Russian-supported separatists proclaimed independent republics after Moscow annexed Crimea.

Subsequently, Russian troops extended their control over much of the territory following the launch of a "special operation" in February 2022.

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