Russian President Vladimir Putin informed Russian diplomats that he offered to hold a referendum to promote peace in eastern Ukraine during his meeting with President Trump this week, according to a new report.
The proposition, which allegedly would require a vote in separatist regions of Ukraine, was not made public so Trump could contemplate the suggestion, Bloomberg reports.
“Some new ideas were discussed,” said Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin. “They will be worked on.”
Peskov did not disclose specifics of Putin’s comments.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Washington Examiner.
The move would likely be controversial, as Kiev and the European Union still back the 2015 Minsk II agreement to cease fighting in the Donbas area of Ukraine. Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, prompting backlash from the U.S. Ukraine and the EU who labeled the annexation as unlawful.
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The U.S. and the EU have also condemned Russia for providing troops and weapons to back separatists in eastern Ukraine, although Russia has rejected such assertions.
Referendums were held in Donetsk and Luhansk, calling for independence. But the votes were not internationally acknowledged and were labeled a “farce” by the Ukrainian government.
Trump and Putin met earlier this week in Helsinki.
