As the Trump-Putin talks approach, Ukraine has ruled out the possibility of ‘gifting’ any land to the occupier.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly stated that he will not entertain the idea of ceding any land to Russia. He emphasized the importance of Ukraine being involved in negotiations aimed at ending the ongoing conflict with its neighbor, just days ahead of anticipated talks between the leaders of Russia and the United States. In a video posted on social media on Saturday, Zelenskyy expressed that Ukraine is prepared for “real decisions” that could pave the way for a “dignified peace.” However, he made it clear that there can be no compromises on territorial integrity as outlined in the constitution. “Ukrainians will not hand over their land to the occupier,” he asserted, cautioning that “decisions made without Ukraine” would not lead to peace. “They won’t accomplish anything. These are doomed decisions. They simply won’t work. What we all need is real and genuine peace—peace that people will truly respect,” he added, highlighting the ongoing struggle of his country against a full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022. Zelenskyy’s remarks came shortly after US President Donald Trump suggested that a peace agreement might involve “some swapping of territories.” He announced a meeting scheduled for Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss the war. Since Russia initiated its invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands have lost their lives, and millions have been displaced from their homes. This year, three rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have yielded no results, leaving uncertainty about whether a summit could bring the prospect of peace any closer. On Thursday, Putin indicated that he would consider a meeting with Zelenskyy, but stressed that the conditions for such discussions must be appropriate. He noted that the necessary prerequisites for talks are still far from being fulfilled, without specifying what those conditions might be. Previously, the Kremlin has insisted that Ukraine must relinquish the territories currently occupied by Russia, and that Western nations should halt military support to Ukraine and exclude it from NATO membership. There’s been quite a bit of chatter about what a ceasefire agreement might look like, particularly regarding how the lines of contact between Russia and Ukraine could be frozen for several years, as reported by Al Jazeera’s Osama Bin Javad from Moscow. Zelenskyy mentioned that he shares Starmer's concerns about the risks of Russia’s strategy, which seems to boil down to discussing the impossible. The Ukrainian president also had a conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. “I truly appreciate the support. We exchanged thoughts on the diplomatic landscape,” Zelenskyy shared on social media, emphasizing, “It’s crucial that the Russians don’t manage to fool anyone again.” Macron, for his part, noted that he had also spoken with Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, highlighting the resolve of European nations to back Ukraine. “Ukraine’s future can’t be decided without the Ukrainians, who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now,” Macron stated. “Europeans must also be part of the solution, as their own security is at stake.” In the meantime, national security advisers from Ukraine’s allies—including the US, EU nations, and the UK—met in Britain on Saturday to align their perspectives ahead of the upcoming Putin-Trump summit. Zelenskyy described those discussions as productive. “The path to peace for Ukraine should be determined together, and only together with Ukraine; this is a key principle,” he said in his evening address to the Ukrainian people. Ukraine and its European allies have consistently opposed any agreements that would involve giving up occupied territories, but Putin has repeatedly insisted that any deal must require Ukraine to surrender some of the territories Russia has taken. In 2022, Russia declared four Ukrainian regions—Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, and Luhansk—that it doesn’t fully control as its own territory, and it also claims the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which it annexed back in 2014.

NEWS