Zelensky: 'Spirit of Anchorage' concessions no longer on the table

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told representatives of the Ukrainian community in the U.S. that the so-called "Anchorage agreements" — which included Russia's demand for recognition of its sovereignty over occupied Ukrainian territories — are no longer on the negotiating table.

According to Zelensky, talks have moved away from the questions of Ukrainian neutrality and recognition of Russian sovereignty over occupied land. He said this shift is largely due to Ukraine's armed forces, and that the current situation on the battlefield gives Kyiv room to reject Moscow's demands.

"We control the situation on the battlefield today. It's hard for us, but the Russians aren't making any major advances. Where they are advancing, Russia is paying a very high price in human lives — hundreds, thousands of them," Zelensky said.

Origins of the 'spirit of Anchorage'

The phrase "spirit of Anchorage" emerged after Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump met in Alaska on August 15, 2025. Russian officials began using the term to describe what they said were agreements reached during that meeting.

In February 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia had accepted U.S. proposals on Ukraine following the Alaska summit, but that Washington itself was now unprepared to accept them. He later remarked that "the spirit of Anchorage is evaporating."

Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian president's office, has said that by "the spirit of Anchorage," Russia means ending the war on terms under which the international community would recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and the Russian-occupied parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.