And US officials

Hear’s a summary of the key events from the provided text, organized for clarity:

Military Situation & Claims:

* siversk Captured: Russia‍ claims to have captured the town of Siversk in eastern⁢ Ukraine, a key point on the path to Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
* ukrainian ⁢Attack on Russian Oil Field: Ukraine attacked the Filanovskiy oil field (Lukoil) in the Caspian Sea with drones, disrupting production of 120,000 barrels per day.
* Potential Ukrainian Withdrawal: The US is proposing a “free economic zone” or “demilitarized ⁣zone” in part of the Donetsk region, requiring Ukrainian forces to withdraw. Zelensky states the governance of this zone is unclear.
* Eastern Territories Resolution: Zelensky acknowledges that an⁣ election or referendum will ⁤be necessary to resolve the issue of the eastern territories.

Diplomacy & ⁣Negotiations:

* Territorial Concessions Proposal: A proposal involving Ukrainian territorial concessions to end the war was submitted to Donald Trump by Germany.
* Zelensky’s Potential ⁣Election: Zelensky raised the possibility of holding an election in Ukraine despite martial law, prompting questions about his potential re-election.
* Trump’s Claim on Ukrainian Sentiment: Trump claims 82% of Ukrainians want a settlement to the war, citing an⁢ unknown and unverified survey.

Key Players &⁢ Statements:

* Volodymyr Zelensky: Discussing potential elections/referendums, the US proposal for a ‍demilitarized zone, and the lack of clarity ‍around its governance.
* Donald Trump: Claiming widespread Ukrainian desire for a settlement and receiving a proposal for territorial concessions.
* ⁤ Vladimir Putin: Informed of the capture of Siversk by the military.
* ⁤ Friedrich Merz (German Chancellor): Announced the submission of the territorial concession proposal to Trump.