Zelenskyy Warns Against Excluding Ukraine from Trump-Putin Peace Talks, Fearing Deadlock and Loss of Territory
In Kyiv, Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a statement over the weekend expressing concerns about the upcoming summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Friday in Alaska.
Zelenskyy emphasized that any peace initiative excluding Ukraine would be detrimental, likening such solutions to “dead ends” that would not contribute to lasting peace. The Ukrainian leader underscored the importance of Ukraine’s involvement in negotiations regarding the ongoing conflict, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began over three years ago.
Russian President Putin’s foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, stated that a meeting between Trump and Putin would be advantageous, noting its significance and anticipation. Despite this, there is uncertainty about whether the summit will lead to a cessation of hostilities, as both Moscow and Kyiv remain divided on their conditions for peace.
Trump suggested in comments made at the White House that any agreement might involve “territory swaps,” although he provided no specific details. Analysts have speculated that Russia could potentially relinquish territory it controls outside of the four regions it has annexed, but no official confirmation has been given.
Trump’s announcement that he would host Putin on U.S. soil broke expectations that they would meet in a third country, which some view as validating Putin after years of international condemnation for his actions against Ukraine. Exasperated by Putin’s refusal to halt bombings in Ukrainian cities, Trump had recently threatened to impose additional sanctions on Russia and introduce tariffs targeting countries purchasing Russian oil if the Kremlin did not move towards a settlement.
The deadline for these potential sanctions passed on Friday, but the White House declined to comment on their status following Trump’s announcement of the upcoming meeting with Putin. Prior to this announcement, Trump’s efforts to pressure Russia into ending the conflict had yielded no progress. The Kremlin’s military advance is continuing at a high cost, while relentless bombardment of Ukrainian cities persists. Negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their terms for peace.