President Zelensky vowed Saturday that Ukraine will not cede territory to Russia, hours after Washington and Moscow agreed to an August 15 summit in Alaska.
Despite warnings from Kyiv and Europe that Ukraine must be included, Trump said the meeting with Putin could involve “swapping of territories” to benefit both nations, offering no details.
“Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” Zelensky said on social media hours later. “Any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace. They will achieve nothing. This cannot be ended without us, without Ukraine.”
Three failed negotiation rounds this year leave doubts that a summit will advance peace. Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, tens of thousands have died, millions have fled, and Putin has rejected repeated ceasefire calls from the U.S., Europe, and Kyiv. Zelensky said Kyiv is “ready for real decisions” leading to a “dignified peace,” but offered no details.
Putin, in power for over 25 years, has ruled out talks with him, though Zelensky continues to push for a three-way summit, calling a meeting with Putin key to peace. The Alaska summit—site of Russia’s 1867 sale to the U.S.—will be the first U.S.-Russia presidential meeting since Biden met Putin in 2021, months before the Ukraine invasion. Zelensky noted it is “very far” from the war, while the Kremlin called the location “logical” given its shared border and economic ties.
Moscow has also invited Trump to visit Russia afterward. Trump and Putin last met in 2019 at the G20 in Japan, but have spoken several times since January. Ahead of their upcoming summit, Putin called allies including China and India, while Trump has sought—so far unsuccessfully—to broker peace in Ukraine. Trump imposed extra tariffs on India over Russian oil purchases and threatened similar action against China.
Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine continued overnight drone attacks along the 600-mile frontline.
