Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly ruled out ceding any territory to Russia ahead of a planned summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, set to take place in Alaska on August 15. The meeting, the first between the two leaders since Trump’s return to the White House, aims to address the ongoing three-year conflict, but Kyiv and European leaders have warned that Ukraine must be directly involved in any negotiations.
Announcing the summit, Trump hinted at “swapping of territories to the betterment of both” Ukraine and Russia, without elaborating. Zelensky swiftly rejected the idea, declaring on social media, “Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier. Any decisions without Ukraine are decisions against peace.” He stressed that the war “cannot be ended without us” and urged allies to take “clear steps” toward a sustainable peace.
National security advisors from the US, UK, and EU met in Britain on Saturday to coordinate positions ahead of the summit. Zelensky also held calls with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, warning against Russian attempts to “deceive anyone again.”
The Alaska summit will be the first direct US-Russia presidential meeting since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021, months before Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin called the choice of Alaska “logical,” citing its geographic proximity to Russia and shared economic interests.
Despite the diplomatic push, fighting continues along the 1,000-kilometre frontline. On Saturday, a Russian strike hit a civilian bus in Kherson, killing two and wounding 16. Moscow claimed control over Yablonovka in Donetsk, one of the regions it annexed in 2022 alongside Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson moves Kyiv and its allies refuse to recognise. Russia’s conditions for peace include Ukraine’s withdrawal from these regions, neutrality, and exclusion from NATO demands Kyiv rejects.
While Zelensky acknowledges that reclaiming occupied land will require diplomacy, he insists on a “dignified peace.” With tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, whether the Alaska summit can bridge the vast gap between Moscow and Kyiv’s positions remains uncertain.
