Jonathan Powell, the UK Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser, has stated that the so-called «Anchorage compromise» on ending Russia’s war against Ukraine is no longer a basis for negotiations. Speaking at the YES meeting in Kyiv, he said that Moscow cannot consider the transfer of Ukrainian territories to Russia and Kyiv’s renunciation of NATO membership to have been agreed with the US.
Briefly about the main points
- Powell stated that the «Anchorage compromise» had finally lost its validity.
- This approach was linked to the Trump–Putin summit in Alaska.
- Moscow interpreted it as a basis for territorial concessions by Ukraine.
- Washington denied that a formal agreement had been reached following the summit.
- Ukraine is preparing for a possible new round of trilateral talks in October.
Powell called for a different basis for a settlement
Jonathan Powell He spoke at the 22nd annual Yalta European Strategy meeting, which took place in Kyiv on 11–12 September and brought together around 700 politicians, diplomats, military personnel, business leaders and experts from 28 countries.
«The so-called “Anchorage compromise” is well and truly dead. We can stop worrying about it. It’s over,» said the British adviser.
In his view, this makes it possible to seek a more realistic format for negotiations, without being guided by the expectation that Ukraine will cede to Russia territories which the latter has been unable to capture by military means.
What conditions did Moscow attach to the Anchorage Agreement?
Donald Trump і Vladimir Putin met in Anchorage in Alaska on 15 August 2025. The summit concluded without any announcement of a ceasefire or peace treaty, and Trump said afterwards that no final agreement had been reached.
Subsequently, the Russian side referred to an alleged «mutual understanding» that had been reached. According to Ukrmedia, Putin proposed a plan under which Ukraine would have to cede the entire Donbas region to Russia, including the areas that remained under Kyiv’s control. It was proposed that the front line in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions be effectively frozen.
Russia also demanded that Ukraine abandon its intention to join NATO and agree to neutral status. Reuters reported in August 2025 that these demands remained part of Russia’s position following the summit. Kyiv rejected the handover of unoccupied territories in the Donetsk region and other unilateral concessions.
Moscow and Washington interpreted the outcome of the summit differently
In the months that followed, Russian officials repeatedly referred to the framework for a settlement established in Anchorage. In June 2026, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demanded that Washington explain whether the US had abandoned the «spirit of Anchorage».
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the same time denied, …that any formal agreement had been concluded in Alaska. Powell has now stated that Russia itself no longer insists on the claim that Washington agreed to transfer Ukrainian territories to it and that Kyiv would renounce the prospect of NATO membership.
Diplomatic talks are continuing, but the Donbas remains a point of contention
In early September, US officials Steve Witkoff і Jared Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv once again. Following these meetings, the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy He reported that the US side had put forward several «worthy ideas» for a possible resumption of the peace process, but no breakthrough had been achieved.
Ukraine is preparing for a possible new round of trilateral talks involving Kyiv, the US and Russia in October. The key point of contention remains Donbas: Moscow also lays claim to territories not controlled by its troops, whilst Ukraine refuses to hand them over voluntarily.
Powell called on the West not to ease the economic, military, political and diplomatic pressure on Russia. At the same time, he advocated maintaining channels of communication with Putin in order to avoid dangerous miscalculations and to encourage Moscow to engage in genuine negotiations.
