Zelenskyy Rejects Land Concessions Amid Upcoming Summit with Putin and Trump
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy firmly stated on Saturday that Ukraine will not surrender territory to Russia in exchange for peace, following the announcement of a summit aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict. Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are scheduled to meet in Alaska next Friday, seeking to address the three-year conflict, despite Ukraine and European warnings that Kyiv must be included in any negotiations.
During the summit announcement, Trump indicated there would be “some swapping of territories to the betterment of both” sides, yet he did not provide specific details.
“Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier,” Zelenskyy emphasized in a social media statement shortly thereafter. He asserted that “any decisions against us, any decisions without Ukraine, are also decisions against peace. They will achieve nothing,” reiterating that the war “cannot be ended without us, without Ukraine.”
In a call with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy urged Ukraine’s allies to take “clear steps” towards a lasting peace. National security advisors from the United States, European Union nations, and the UK convened in Britain on Saturday to align their perspectives ahead of the summit.
French President Emmanuel Macron, after discussions with Zelenskyy, Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, remarked that “the future of Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukrainians,” stressing the necessity of European involvement in negotiations.
During his evening address, Zelenskyy stated, “There must be an honest end to this war, and it is up to Russia to end the war it started.”
Failed Negotiations
Despite three rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine this year yielding no significant progress, the potential for the upcoming summit to bridge their substantial differences remains uncertain. Tens of thousands have lost their lives since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with millions displaced.
Putin has consistently rebuffed calls for a ceasefire from the United States, Europe, and Kyiv. As a former KGB officer in power for over 25 years, he has dismissed the notion of direct talks with Zelenskyy at this juncture.
Zelenskyy has advocated for a three-way summit, asserting that engagement with Putin is crucial for any meaningful advancement towards peace.
Summit Location and Context
The meeting in Alaska, a territory acquired by the United States from Russia in 1867, will mark the first summit between current US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden and Putin’s encounter in Geneva in June 2021. That meeting preceded Russia’s troop deployment into Ukraine nine months later.
Zelenskyy commented on the summit location, indicating it is “very far away from this war, which is raging on our land, against our people.” The Kremlin defended the choice as “logical,” highlighting the territory’s economic significance for both countries.
Moscow also extended an invitation for Trump to visit Russia in the future. The last direct meeting between Trump and Putin occurred in 2019 at a G20 summit in Japan, although they have communicated by phone several times since January, with Trump attempting to mediate a resolution in Ukraine without apparent success.
On Friday, Putin conducted a series of calls with allies, including Brazil, China, and India, as a diplomatic push ahead of the summit. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated his backing for dialogue and a peaceful resolution during a 40-minute conversation with Putin on Saturday.
Previously, President Biden imposed an additional tariff on India for purchasing Russian oil, aiming to encourage Moscow to engage in discussions, while also threatening similar measures against China, though such actions have not yet been realized.
Continued Hostilities
As diplomatic efforts unfold, hostilities persist. Ukraine and Russia exchanged attacks early Saturday, deploying numerous drones against each other’s positions. In Ukraine’s frontline city of Kherson, a civilian bus was struck, resulting in two fatalities and 16 injuries.
The Russian military claimed to have seized Yablonovka, a village in the Donetsk region, which is now at the center of intense combat, alongside the five regions that Putin has declared as part of Russia.
Ukrainian authorities reported four fatalities due to Russian shelling in Donetsk as of Saturday morning. In 2022, the Kremlin announced the annexation of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, despite lacking full control over these areas, and had previously annexed Crimea in 2014.
Russia’s precondition for any peace negotiations includes the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from these territories, a commitment to neutrality, the rejection of Western military support, and exclusion from NATO. Kyiv, however, has stated it will never acknowledge Russian control over its territory, though it accepts that retrieving land seized by Russia would necessitate diplomatic efforts rather than military action.
