The United States and Russia are exploring a deal that would halt the fighting in Ukraine while formalising Moscow’s control over territory it seized during the war, according to reports by Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal. People familiar with the discussions said Washington and Moscow are working toward an agreement that could be presented at a summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as early as next week. Under draft terms described by the sources, Russia would freeze its offensive along current battle lines in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. In return, Ukraine would be asked to withdraw troops from the entire Donbas area—Donetsk and Luhansk—and accept international recognition of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. The arrangement would leave roughly a fifth of Ukraine’s pre-2022 territory under Russian control. The Wall Street Journal said Putin conveyed the proposal to US special envoy Steve Witkoff, telling him he would agree to a full cease-fire if Kyiv pulled its forces from eastern Donetsk. European officials briefed on the talks have voiced doubts over the viability of the plan, warning that it risks rewarding aggression and could allow Moscow time to re-arm. A White House official called the Bloomberg report “speculation,” while the Kremlin declined to comment. Ukraine has not issued a formal response, though President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a separate statement that any peace must be “dignified, reliable and lasting.” The outlines of the proposal remain fluid and could change before any leaders’ meeting takes place.