In the most detailed Russian-based reporting to date on Putin's offer at the Alaska summit, Reuters was able to outline the contours of what the Kremlin would like to see in a possible peace deal.

Moscow continues to throw cold water on the prospect of Putin-Zelenskyy meeting, and is insisting Russia have a role in security guarantees for Ukraine.

Special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff says Russian leader Vladimir Putin agreed to allow the U.S. and Europe to offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO's collective defense mandate.

The Donbas region in eastern Ukraine has long been contested by Russia, with military aggression forcing 1.5 million Ukrainians to flee over the past decade. Ukraine has consistently rejected conceding Donbas to the Kremlin in exchange for peace, though Trump stressed the need for "swapping of territories".

Russia's top military and political officials joined Putin in the closed city of Sarov, which houses the Russian Federal Nuclear Center, on Aug. 22.

Uncertainty has grown in recent days about Moscow's commitment to U.S.-led peace efforts, as Russian officials have raised objections about cornerstones of the nascent proposals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wants a "strong reaction" from the U.S. if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not sit down with him for a bilateral meeting.

Putin seeks "a multilateral system of commitments that includes not only the West but also Russia itself," one expert told Newsweek.