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1. Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine withdraw from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as a condition for ending Russia’s war but told Donald Trump he could freeze the rest of the frontline if his core demands were met. The Russian leader made the request during his meeting with Trump in Alaska on Friday, according to four people with direct knowledge of the talks. Trump then communicated that message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders in a call on Saturday, during which he urged them to drop efforts to secure a ceasefire from Moscow. The move would hand Moscow full control of a territory it has partially occupied for more than a decade and where its troops are advancing at the fastest pace since November. In exchange for Donetsk and Luhansk, Putin said he would freeze the frontline in the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where his forces occupy large swaths of land, and not launch new attacks. (Source: ft.com)
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